Chapter 6

It was hard to explain how he felt in that moment, when he felt the distress run through him like a freight train. Before, when he had been comforting the woman it pressed upon him so heavy he could barely ignore it, the feeling of complete motion vibrated through every molecule of his being, Callen needed to move, needed to act on something. Even if he had no idea of what action it was yet, the need was overwhelming and it was building like an enormous title wave inside of him.

Somehow he managed to remain calm on the outside, still and refined. An agent, collected and ready for whatever challenge he needed to face. Professional in every way expected of him. If G were to act on the energy stirring inside his body and the trembling vibrations singing throughout his mind Callen was pretty sure he would frighten the poor hostage further into the dark cavern of shock.

It was fine, G was managing better than a normal person would in his position.

And than he nearly blacked out. It was the sound that went first, tunneling out slow until the world was mute, the sensation mixed with his vision being washed over with a weird light, bright and golden like the sun. It blinded his senses and for a moment G couldn't breath. Suddenly everything was tinted blue, as if he were scuba diving in the ocean…or...

Callen's blue eyes flashed and widened.

His heart thudding painfully against his ribs woke him from the sight, and he knew.

"Where's Deeks?" Sam's voice rang in his ears, but it was echoed, as if he were remembering the sound from the past or a dream. And as suddenly as the pieces piled up Callen pulled them together. Before he even really knew what he was doing G was standing.

It was like from his dream, he could see Deeks under the water, as if he were standing just above the body of water. The water, must be a pool, must be in the back yard. Callen's feet carried him, flashing, dashing down the stairs and out the back door. There, there was the pool, just like he'd seen it in his mind.

G Callen was compelled to move, not think and debate. Everything, every fiber in him screamed he was running out of time.

Without looking for confirmation Callen leaped into the water, diving into the deepest part of the pool and kicking downward. Blue eyes did not wince from the sting of the chlorine, they searched, darting through the tinted haze for the body he knew was there. Lungs screaming he reached out for Deeks's motionless body.

As soon as Callen's frantic hands touched the still body his mind was lost to him again, shooting pain passed like a blade behind his eyes, the images only lasted for a second, but it felt like minutes. Callen saw it all as if he were watching a movie, a silent movie passing behind his eyes. A third person observer, silent, unseen in the background.

He watched as Deeks entered the yard, there was a flash of movement, someone out of the shadows Deeks and the team hadn't expected. Callen tried to step forward, to scream a warning, but nothing freed him from the chains of silence. A shot was fired, the sound cracking through the air and silence. Deeks fell into the water, not because he was struck with the bullet but in last ditch effort to get out of the way, striking his head on the side of the pool, the detective did not surface.

Blinking away the piercing images Callen grabbed hold of Deeks and kicked towards the surface. He struggled to keep Marty's head above the water, he struggled to keep his own too, though it didn't seem as important. G was grateful when Sam helped him, yanking the still body of their friend from the water and onto solid ground.

It took a moment, the pain in his head still burning, disorienting him, still somehow G managed to pull himself from the pool. His eyes were fixed on the form of his friend, mind numb, silent and still. He could have prevented this, he couldn't help but think how he could have prevented this from happening.

The energy seemed to flee his body, the trembling, once so violent suddenly still, leaving Callen feeling exhausted and lost.

The thoughts were of course illogical. How could he have prevented it this? How could he have known anything?

Sam's own inquiry drew Callen's eyes back to the here and now, "I just knew," he spoke the words in stunned aw.

Than he recoiled. No way in hell. This wasn't rational! Backing away as the paramedics arrived on scene G turned away from his friends and rubbed a shaky hand over his pale face. He needed to regroup, rethink things. No, he hadn't simply had a feeling that brought him to the realization Deeks had somehow ended up at the bottom of the pool and it sure as hell hadn't been because of some psychedelic dream he had while in the hospital after a serious concussion.

No that was simply a poorly thought out, slightly insane explanation of the events that lead up to him pulling Deeks from the water. Something fleeting, something remnant of his head injury. What really happened was more logical.

Taking in a shaky breath Callen tried to figure out what exactly that logical explanation was, only to be pulled out of his thoughts by a paramedic touching his arm lightly. "Sir?" The girl, probably in her early twenties, asked lightly. Her green eyes capturing his attention quickly. She jerked her hand back quickly and she shook it as if touching him was the same as touching an orange flame. "Wow…" Her eyes widened, and than seemed to reconsider her actions by laughing lightly, "Sorry, I shocked you, did you not feel it?" The laughter fell flat and the girl shook her head. "Um."

Callen didn't speak, watching her fumble for her words as she studied him. The girl was shorter than him, maybe only slightly taller than Nell. Her hair was cut in a sharp short bob, blond with a strip of color on the right side, dark purple. Probably synthetic, why that mattered Callen couldn't guess. Perhaps his mind just needed a distraction as the pain and confusion faded.

"I'm Ava Knight, I just need to check you over if that's alright, Mr. ?"

"Callen, and I'm fine." G insisted, glancing at the girl only one more second before letting his eyes travel back to his team. Sam and Kensi were eyeing him as they seemed to be in the middle of a heated discussion, probably concerning him or Deeks. Probably both. Deeks seemed to have been moved, no longer in eyesight.

"Your friend is going to be fine, while your back was turned they managed to expel the water from his lungs. He was moved to the back of the ambulance to be looked over. I was supposed to try and get you to agree…"

"Save your breath," Sam's booming voice sounded loudly into G's ears, making him jump and turn to his friend standing nearer than he remembered. "This one is beyond help. Thanks though."

Ava nodded, "Alright, well," She glanced at Callen, catching his eyes, "I'll see you later." She nodded and walked away.

G only watched the girl for a second longer before letting his eyes fall on Sam's face again. Kensi had disappeared, either returning to her partner's side or stepping away to call Hetty with an update.

"You want to tell me what you meant? How did you know he was in the water?" Sam moved to stand more in front of his partner, drawing his wayward attention. The doctor had mentioned something about the possibility of a shorter attention span. "You look spooked."

"Well, Deeks did almost drown without any of us realizing." G pointed out sharply, keeping the uncertainty out of his voice. Everything was normal, everything was okay. "I remember hearing a splash. I didn't put it together until you said something." It was mostly the truth. It was normal.

Sam seemed to accept this answer, though his eyes remained worried. The concern was nice and Callen couldn't help but think how it might be relevant. Very not him. Swallowing down the growing pit of impending doom, Callen slipped into his normal façade. "We should probably collect Miss Rivers and debrief…"

"Relax, it's been handled." Sam clapped a large hand on his partner's damp shoulder. Wrinkling his nose he smirked at Callen, "Let's find you some new clothes, no way you're getting in my Challenger looking like a wet dog."

G rolled his eyes, heart relaxing a bit at the familiar banter. Everything was fine, everything was normal he chanted in the back of his mind.

Ha, okay. So sorry for the lack of update-ness from this and Without a Trace! I am working on the next chapter for WAT now, I've just been busy with other things. I hope to have more soon! Life does happen, but I still am very excited to write both stories!

Thank you guys for the support! You all rock!

Special thanks to my reviewers for the last chapter: Rita, justdreaming-83, daughter of ewan, chase a dream, skippy1967, luvstoread1964, Ambrosia Rush, Lindsay, and finally Keviana!

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