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Well this is it Chapter 14 and the Epilogue. I cannot believe that it's finally over.
Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts.
A very HUGE Thanks my partner in crime, editor, friend, Anthrdumblond who kept on telling me "No this does NOT suck!", "What are you trying to do here?", "Yes I'm sure it's ready to go out," and the ever popular "Focus!" I really don't think this story would have developed the way it did without you.
Thanks to my hubby if he has been reading (he does not know I've been doing this) if you are reading honey I love you and thanks for understanding (to a point) for my love ("obsession" as he puts it) of NCIS:LA/NCIS
There is another story that I have been working on off and on (when my editor is not yelling at me to "FOCUS!") Depending on how a family situation is going on that story will start up March 2013.
Happy reading...
With Love,
Katie'sMom
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The flashback that I have is of Gibbs. It's a continuation of what happened in the flashback "Off I go" (Chapter 6).
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Chapter 14
"Sullivan," Sarah whispered, closed her eyes, and heard the gunshot ring out.
"Shots fired!" Sam said and watched Reardon stand there for a moment stunned and then fall down, "Reardon is down!"
"Detective Deeks, Agent Blye, get out there now!" Hetty said. Within seconds they saw Deeks go out the kitchen entrance and Kensi go out the front, guns drawn.
"You check on Sarah, I'll see who is upstairs," Sam opened the duffle by the wheel of the car and handed Callen his gun then went into the building.
"Clear," Deeks yelled.
"Clear," Kensi yelled.
"Clear," Callen said crossing the street looking at Sarah still up against the wall.
"Eric, I need an ambulance over here now," Deeks said letting Callen get to Sarah first.
"They are on the way." Eric told him.
Sarah was looking at Reardon still gripping the hairpin in her hand; she looked up to see Callen there, "You don't listen to directions very well."
Callen kneeled beside her, "You don't either," He put his hand on her shoulder, "You did a great job, Babe," He kissed her forehead. He watched Kensi as she checked Reardon, "Kensi?"
"Single gunshot wound to the head." She told him.
"Who shot him?" Deeks asked.
"Gibbs," Sarah whispered.
"G Sharp." He realized it was her code for him, "Sam, Gibbs is on the roof."
"Copy that," They heard Sam say on the top floor before the entrance of the roof.
Callen picked her up, "Let's get you checked out," as the ambulance pulled up.
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Sam opened the door to the roof to see Gibbs standing there with his hands raised over his head. Sam lowered his weapon, "Put your hands down you're getting a metal not arrested."
"How are you Sam?" Gibbs asked, lowering his arms.
"Good. Why are you in Los Angeles?" Sam walked over to the sniper rifle already packed in its case.
"I decided to take a vacation." Gibbs said walking over to edge of the roof to make sure Sarah was okay.
"You didn't bother to tell anyone of your plan?" Sam asked slightly annoyed.
"Hetty knew."
Sam smiled, "Hetty knows everything, why not tell us?"
"That would spoil the surprise." Gibbs smiled.
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"I am fine!" Sarah said, trying to get up from the gurney again.
"We just want to make sure," The paramedic told her.
"I don't need to go to a hospital." She protested.
"Is she always this difficult?" The paramedic asked Callen.
"She's a redhead," Gibbs said walking up with Sam, "Stubborn as hell and once she makes up her mind about something nothing can stop her."
Sarah got up slowly and hugged him, "I'm so glad you're here," She whispered.
"You did great, they would be proud," he whispered.
"Thanks," She smiled.
"You're still going to the hospital," He helped her sit back down on the gurney.
"Gibbs, I'm fine." She said.
He touched one of her ribs and she yelped. "Possible cracked ribs; you are going, Agent Burgess. That is an order."
"Fine." She said finally giving up. "But Agent Callen goes with me,"
The paramedic, glad that she finally gave in, nodded, "He'll be in the front seat,"
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Hetty sat in the waiting room, patiently for news about Sarah. The entire team was there and dealing with the long wait in their own way. Deeks tried to break the tension by teasing Kensi about eating another candy bar.
Nell was whispering to Eric about some medical information she had read a couple of months ago, which had Eric worrying and asking about every possibility of what could go wrong because it was taking so long.
Hetty looked at Nate who was standing up against the wall watching everyone.
"Will you two shut up she's going to be fine!" Sam finally said.
"But what if-"
"She will be fine Mr. Beal." Hetty said. "These things take time," She said putting her hand on Sam's giving him the indication that he did not need to be annoyed. She watched Callen pacing the hallway looking worried. He had been there with her in the room and was told when she went in for tests that he could not be there. Gibbs stood at the doorway as if he was on guard. She watched as his phone went off and he ignored the call. He wanted to make sure Sarah was going to be alright before he let his team and Director Vance know.
"Sorry," Eric and Nell said at the same time.
Hetty closed her eyes and rubbed her temples trying to decide if she should laugh or cry at what was going on. Sarah was right, for someone who didn't have kids she sure did have a lot of them and even though they were driving each other crazy she was glad that they were all there with her tonight.
The doors opened, "Miss Lange?" Dr. Susan DePaul asked, seeing the large group waiting.
Hetty stood up, "Yes."
"Your goddaughter has a slight concussion, a couple of cracked ribs and is banged up pretty good. She'll be fine but she's going to be very sore tomorrow. I want to keep her overnight for observation. I have given her some medicine to help her rest and for when the pain kicks in."
"Thank you."
"I'm assuming there will be security for her?" Dr. DePaul looked at the team basically surround Hetty.
"Yes, some agents and some members of LAPD will be here,"
"I will notify my staff."
"When can we see her?" Callen asked.
"She has been asking for you Agent Callen, you can go in there now." She told him.
He looked at Hetty for approval she nodded and he went to Sarah's room.
"I'll take first shift," Sam told Hetty following Callen to Sarah's room.
Hetty turned to the rest of the team, "You all need to go home and get some rest."
"She's part of the team, Hetty." Deeks said.
"There will be plenty of people here watching over her tonight. Go home, get some sleep and come back tomorrow,"
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The next morning Sarah woke up to see Hetty sleeping on the couch, an empty chair with Gibbs glasses on the tray table on the left side of her bed, and Callen sleeping in the chair next to her bed holding her hand on the right side of her bed.
The door to her room opened slowly, "Yeah? Well you can kiss my ass," She heard Gibbs mumble as he walked into the room.
"You still have a way with people Gibbs," She told him, still groggy.
He was surprised to see her awake, "I went out to get coffee and they did a shift change. Now they are asking for a blood sample for me to get in." He said sitting down and putting the newspaper on the nightstand.
"If they didn't you would be head slapping them." She tried to sit up in bed.
He thought about it, "True. So how are you Red?" He asked.
"I feel like I've been run over by a truck. Have all of you been here all night?" She asked.
He nodded, "He hasn't moved since he was able to get in here."
She looked at Callen's hand holding hers, "I don't remember what happened after I got done with the tests."
"You had some pretty good drugs,"
She closed her eyes, "Please tell me I didn't say anything embarrassing."
"DiNozzo called to make sure you were okay. You called him 'googlie bear'. Callen is secretly planning his death." Gibbs said smiling.
"Crap," She tried to laugh and she felt pain shoot through her ribs.
"I told Callen about that little game that you and DiNozzo think you have to play every time we are out doing missions and I assured him that if Tony got closer than just than calling you 'Love bug' he wouldn't have to worry about killing him because I would."
"Thanks," She said watching Callen sleeping in the chair.
"Are you sure about this?" He asked knowing the answer already.
She nodded. "I never felt like this Jethro. Not even with..."
"I know." He sighed. "When he wakes up tell him Lou's at noon," He got up, put his glasses in his pocket, picked up his paper and coffee.
"Where are you going?"
"I have to go and get something. Lou's at noon." He said walking out.
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May 2011 (After Sarah gets the news that Hetty has gone off grid *SEE
Off I Go Flashback*Chapter 6)
Gibbs walked up the stairs of the front porch of his house and saw the package there on the doormat, "Crap," he said knowing that this could end up bad. "Hetty what in the hell do you think you are doing?" He said picking it up and walking into the house and tossing his keys on the entry table.
He cut through the living room, past the kitchen and went down stairs into the basement. Gibbs placed the box on the table and looked at it not wanting to know what was in it. All he knew was it was personal items that Hetty would want him to have if anything happened to her. He emptied out a jar of screws, cleaned it out with his shirt, and poured the whiskey in the bell jar. Gibbs downed it in one gulp and looked at the box. "Damn it Hetty," he said taking out his knife and opening up the box. There were pictures of Gibbs and Sarah, of Shannon and Kelly that must have been taken while he was at Desert Storm because he never saw them before, the knife that he gave to Hetty when he told her his rule, a sealed file labeled 'Callen/Comescu', and there was a small box with a note attached.
He opened the note: "Jethro- If Sarah ever finds someone that she wants to spend the rest of her life (and passes your standards), please give him this...and wish him the best of luck! I know Bill would want her to have this." He opened the box to find an emerald ring.
"Crap." Gibbs whispered and heard the front door slam.
"Jethro?" Tobias Fornell yelled from upstairs.
"Down here!" He said taking the ring box and putting it in a drawer.
"I got the message from McGee. Want to tell me what is so important that you get me out of work?" He walked down the stairs.
Gibbs put everything back in the box, got out another glass, and poured whiskey into it, "Drink this." He told him handing him the glass.
Fornell looked at the glass and then looked at Gibbs suspicious, "Who died?" He knew that something bad was happening by the tone of McGee's voice when he got the call telling him that Gibbs needed to meet with him and he was not going to take no for an answer.
"Just drink it."
He drank it and put the glass on the table, "Who died?" Fornell asked again.
"I got this today." He showed him the box. Fornell looked at the handwriting, took the bottle and poured another.
"Comescu's?" He said knowing the handwriting.
"Yeah. Hetty went off grid two days ago."
"Does Callen know?" Fornell asked.
"Vance got into Los Angeles this morning and is trying to keep him from going after her."
Fornell laughed. "This is Callen we are talking about." Then his facial expression changed dramatically "Where is Sarah?"
"Safe, she was supposed to leave today." Gibbs said opening up the box and looking at the pictures again. "I was able to stop her from leaving,"
Fornell looked at the picture of Sarah and his daughter Emily taken at a birthday party a couple of years ago, "Damn it. This is bad."
"I know."
"What do we do Gibbs?" He asked.
"Wait."
Fornell looked at Gibbs like he was insane, "Wait? That's it? Wait?"
"Believe me, I want to go after her, but I can't leave Sarah here. If I leave to get Hetty without Sarah, she will never forgive me." Gibbs took another sip of his drink.
Both men nearly jumped when the phone rang, "Yes, Leon." He listened and walked over to grab the bottle. He poured the liquid into the glasses.
"Shit." Fornell said.
"You let them go? What about her?" He paused and then sighed. "Okay keep me updated," and slammed his phone shut.
"What's going on?" Fornell asked.
"Against Vance's orders Callen and the rest of the team are on their way to
Romania. They left their badges with Vance."
Fornell sighed, "Are you sure you want to wait?"
"Lauren Hunter is on the way too,"
Fornell looked at him shocked. "Oh this is not good."
"No, it's not."
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Callen walked into Lou's and saw Gibbs at the bar with a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. "Still building that boat in your basement?" He asked sitting next to him.
He shook his head no, "Working on a rocking chair for Mike Franks Granddaughter."
"How do you get the boats out of your basement?" Callen asked.
"Magic," He said smiling. "So how are you Callen?"
"Good, Sarah is driving the nurses' nuts. I'm expecting a call to get her out soon,"
Gibbs smiled, "What are your plans for my friends little girl?" He finally decided to ask.
"Hoping she'll spend the rest of her life with me."
"That's a big commitment, even for you."
"I know." Callen agreed. If someone would have told him a year ago that his life would change dramatically he would have laughed.
Gibbs reached into his coat pocket and put the small black velvet box on the bar, "Good Luck," Gibbs told him pouring Bourbon into his glass. He watched Callen opened the box and see the emerald ring, "It was her mothers. Hetty got it when Sarah's father was killed. When Hetty went off grid in May she sent me a box of things and this was in it. Told me that if Sarah found someone that passed my standards I was to give this to him,"
"And tell them good luck?"
Gibbs smiled, "You're going to need it."
"I know." He said smiling, "Thanks,"
"Make her happy,"
"That's my goal every day," He said putting it his jacket pocket.
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Sarah smiled as Sam walked into her room, "Please tell me you are getting me out of here."
"It will be a couple more hours. I'm here to talk to you about your new assignment." He handed her the file.
"I had a feeling that was why Gibbs wanted Callen to meet with him," She said, taking the file. She opened it to see Callen's picture.
Sam sat down next to her, "I have been assigned to be your handler. You will still do missions with Gibbs and be listed as 'reserve' but your assignment is to protect G. We need you to let us know if he has any new memories, moods, sleep habits. Hetty has been watching over him since he was five. Over the years she has brought in a select few to watch over him,"
"When were you brought in?" She asked looking at a picture of Callen when he was a child.
"I have been his partner for almost five years. I found out what was going on when we were in Romania."
"He doesn't know about any of this does he?" She asked skimming over reports that had paragraphs blacked out "Will he ever know?" Sarah looked at the next page that had a picture of a woman's CIA badge labeled 'Clara Callen'.
"Eventually," He said and stood up when someone knocked on the door. "There is another member of this team who wants to talk to you," Sam blocked Sarah's view when the door opened.
"Sorry I'm late," The woman said walking in and putting her bag down.
Sarah leaned back and was shocked to see Lauren Hunter in her room, "What is she doing here?"
"She's part of the group," Sam told her.
"Why?" She asked.
"She will explain,"
"I told you she would not take this well," Lauren said smiling.
Sam looked at Lauren, not happy that it took her walking into the room to set Sarah off, "She will,"
"The hell I will!" Sarah pulled the covers off of her and started taking the tape off her arm that held the IV.
"Sarah, stop."
"No. I'm not going to listen to anything that she has to say. She has nothing that I need to hear."
"Yes, she does." He put his hand on her arm to try and stop her from taking the IV out.
"I have been listening to her hatred for me since I was fourteen years old. I don't need to hear what she lies she has about Callen."
"Sarah, you need to hear her out please trust me,"
"Why Sam? What does she know about him that gives her the right to watch over Callen?" She asked.
He sighed and looked at Lauren who nodded approval to tell her. "Lauren is Callen's sister," He said quietly.
Sarah sat there stunned "You're lying," she said not wanting to believe him but knew by looking into his eyes that it was the truth. She turned to Lauren, "Prove it."
"One morning we were going to the beach, I remember my Mother had been stressed the past couple of days but that day it was different. She seemed happy. She told us that we were meeting a friend of hers. I was five and Callen was three. On the way there she changed the channel on the radio my favorite song came on." She smiled at the memory, "It drove him nuts. The song was-"
"Love will keep us together," Sarah said.
Lauren looked at her and then smiled, "How did you know?"
"I sang that song the night we met. He told me a couple of days ago that I triggered that memory."
"I can't believe he remembered." Lauren sat down in the chair stunned.
"He thinks you're dead." Sarah told Lauren angry now.
"I know." Lauren said closing her eyes.
"He mourns you. The little memories he has of you and you're alive?!"
"You think this isn't hard on me?" She asked quietly. "To not tell him who I am? To stand there in front of him when he tells Director Vance and his team that he doesn't have any family and all I want to do is say 'yes you do!' I have been watching him for years from a distance making sure that Comescu's do not find him. I finally got to see him when Hetty went off grid. Believe it or not this is hell for me Sarah."
"How do you think he is going to react when he finds out who you are?" Sarah asked both of them.
"He won't find out." Sam said.
Sarah laughed, "He will eventually Sam. He remembered his Mother being killed when he was on the beach in Romania. He remembered what happened that morning because of a song I sang. He will remember his past,"
"He'll have the same reaction that you are having right now." Lauren said quietly, "He won't believe me, he'll yell, accuse me of being a fake, tell me that he hates me for the way I had treated him when Hetty was gone, and he will walk away."
"But he'll forgive you," Sam said.
Lauren tried to smile, "Maybe, I just hope I'm still alive if that happens,"
"What do you mean if?"
"Lauren posed as a member of the Comescu family for three years. She was the one who killed the head of the family saving G's life." Sam said.
"The one who shot Hetty?"
Lauren nodded, "They want me dead."
"But they do not know who she really is,"
"What do I need to do?" Sarah asked.
Lauren handed Sarah a phone, "Call if you need help. The contacts are the people who
have been watching over him over the years."
Sarah looked at the list and was shocked to see the names 'Lange, Gibbs, Vance, Fornell, Hanna. '911'
"You're 911?"
"Yes,"
Sam's phone went off he looked at the text "You have to go, G is on his way back,"
"Protect my baby brother Sarah," She said.
"I will," She said, watching Lauren walk out.
She leaned back on the bed, "I don't know if I can do this Sam,"
"Yes, you can," Sam put the tape back on her arm.
"Lie to him? That's not a very good way to start a life together."
"We're protecting him." He told her.
"Do you lie to protect Honey?" She asked.
"We do what we have to for family," He told her and waited at the door for Callen to arrive.
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An hour later Gibbs walked to Sarah's room. Sam sat in front of the door reading a book, "How is she?" Gibbs asked.
"The room is still in one piece and they are both still alive," Sam said slightly annoyed.
"She told me she has been in the area for about two days. Seems Hetty called after the boathouse meeting."
"How did Sarah react to this news?" Gibbs asked.
Sam sighed, "Better than I thought she would." He had heard that the last time they met Sarah's cover was almost blown because of a fight they had in an elevator in Romania.
"Well she was following an order."
"But from what I understand they have said some pretty mean things over the years." Sam paused, "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure,"
"Why did you hesitate last night?"
"What do you mean?" Gibbs leaned up against the wall.
"She said 'G sharp' twice, which is a code for you and you didn't take the shot. Why?"
"I didn't have a good angle," Gibbs told him.
Sam looked at him knowing that he was lying, "Did you shoot him for justice or revenge?" knowing how it felt to make that decision almost a year ago.
"I did it for a promise."
"A promise?"
"Two weeks before Sarah's father he was killed I was asked to protect his little girl no matter what. I broke that promise by leaving to go to Russia when she was in West Virginia. I'm making sure that I will never fail her again."
Sam looked at G and Sarah talking; "Now they can be happy,"
Gibbs nodded, "That's all that matters to me."
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And I can't believe, that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, we'll see it through,
And you know that's what our love can do.
"Everything" By Michael Buble
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Epilogue
Two Months Later...
"And in this crazy life and through these crazy times it's you, it's you, you make me sing you're every line, you're every word, you're everything." Callen sang softly in his wife's ear as they both danced slowly in the boathouse.
"I can't believe we pulled this off," She said smiling, "I thought for sure we would have to go to Vegas,"
"Me too, I had a bag packed here just in case,"
"I have a bag in the car," She put her head down on his shoulder. "Sam would have been pissed." She looked at Sam who was keeping a watchful eye on his wife Honey across the room talking to Deeks.
"Sam would have beaten us there,"
She looked at Callen. "So not only is he a Navy Seal he also has Jedi mind reading abilities?"
"They get that when they graduate. Don't tell him I told you,"
"Secret is safe with me,"
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Gibbs watched Callen and Sarah dancing slowly ignoring everyone in the room. He walked outside to see Hetty looking out into the ocean. "They grow up fast don't they?"
Hetty wiped a tear away from her face. "Yes."
He put his arm around her, "You have done a great job Hetty,"
"Now she's in danger," She said now worried.
"Well that can change, if you let him know what is going on."
"He's not ready," She protested. They had the same argument over the years and in the end it was Hetty's decision not the others to keep Callen's life a secret to protect him.
"You won't give him that chance! Tell him the truth."
"He's not ready for the truth Jethro, if Callen finds out who ordered to kill his Mother not even Sarah will be able to stop him." She made sure that none of that information was in the file that Sarah had.
"Rumor has it they have a new head of the family." He told her knowing that she already knew.
She nodded, "He has taken over," She said quietly. "I had a feeling he would after Alexia,"
"You know that when this fight starts they will not stop until one or both of them are dead," Gibbs said.
"We all need to be on alert now Gibbs." She told him as she looked at Callen and Sarah through the window. "I just want them to not worry and be happy for just one moment."
"Fine, just make sure that he doesn't find out himself."
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Dracul Comescu watched Agent Callen dance slowly with his new bride without a care in the world through the scope of the sniper rifle. He had been in the area for about a week gathering information on him. One by one their friends left leaving them alone and unprotected. He felt his phone vibrate and he grabbed it while still watching the happy couple, "Da."
"I'm just checking on the status of your assignment." The man said.
"He got married." Dracul told him as he released the safety of the rifle waiting for the order.
There was a long silence, "That's great news." He said, "Now come home." He told him.
"But you said-"
"I know what I said Dracul. Let everyone who is protecting him think that they are safe for now."
Dracul felt the anger well up in him again. They killed his Aunt, three bodyguards and his younger brother, "I can do this now. You told me that I could-"
"You will, but I have a new plan, come home now Dracul." He ordered him.
"Fine!" he hung up and looked through the scope. He saw Agent Callen's new bride let him go, walk to the chair to grab a blue silk veil, and wrap it around her shoulders. He could end this today. He could take the shot right now and make Agent Callen feel the pain that he caused his family again with just a simple shot to her heart. But would it be worth disobeying an order? Could he take the risk in angering the new head of the family? He would be killed and it wouldn't matter if he was family or not.
His phone vibrated and he looked at the text "HOME. NOW!" Dracul sighed knowing that the new leader of the family was right. He put the rifle down, "Another time Agent Callen."
To be continued...
March 2013