Hey!

I am so sorry about how long it took to update this chapter! I have been consumed by horrible writer's block and then I have finals (still ongoing actually) so I have been having a hard time writing this chapter and others for another fanfic I am currently writing... Any who!

Thank you for all the lovely reviews and putting this fanfic under favorite/story alert!

Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who?

luvs,

crzychigurl343

The Letter

Callen was whistling all the way back to NCIS: OSP headquarters. He was happy that he was able to help Annie out and get her to revert back to her normal self. Callen was shocked when she pecked him on the cheek but he would take it, it meant that he was getting somewhere with Annie other than the coworker/friend status he currently fills.

"How is Ms. Smith? I see she hasn't ripped you to shreds in her emotional state." Hetty stated as he walked to his desk where his team was assembled and still pouring over the case file, trying to plan a way to bug and track Johnston and Annie for the exchange within the next two and a half hours without Stryker finding it.

"She is doing better now; I guess she just needed some time to adjust to the situation at hand as you said Hetty." Callen replied and complimented his boss. It was amazing at how well the little woman could read everyone and know just what they need.

"If she has calmed down then why isn't she here with you?" Hetty questioned and looked to the entrance just in case if Annie walked through the doors.

"Annie told me that she needed some more time before she faced you and Johnston up there." Callen shrugged his shoulders and at the mention of his name Johnston appeared at the top of the stairs from ops center.

"That doesn't sound like Annie, Hetty. If she truly had calmed down then she would be here begging you to let her stay then be in her apartment until the exchange." Johnston said and there was suspicion evident in his body position and tone of voice.

"I know Mr. Johnston." Hetty replied.

"Hetty, we both know that Annie doesn't just burst, she buries her emotions." Johnston continued.

"I know, Mr. Johnston."

"Then that means earlier ago was her trying to get you to make her go home."

"I've just realized that as well, Mr. Johnston." Was Hetty's grave reply and that was when Johnston bolted back into ops center. Hetty, in her own form of bolting which consisted of a fast paced and angry strut, followed him up there with Callen and his team who joined them to figure out what was going on.

"Mr. Johnston, Mr. Beale, and Ms. Jones you are-"

"Tracking her phone-" Johnston said.

"Putting her statistics into Kaleidoscope-" Eric continued.

"And combing through her browser history to see she has looked up anything since she left." Nell finished. At this, their boss nodded.

"Hetty, what is going on?" Sam asked and Hetty turned to the rest of the unit but didn't say a word.

"That damn, insufferable, pig-headed, crazy woman has gone rogue on us. Nothing on her phone, no calls in or out since Annie left here at NCIS headquarters and she turned it off so I can't trace it." Johnston answered them and he threw his arms up in the air at the last part.

"Calm down Mr. Johnston, she had us all fooled. Ms. Smith played the situation well just like how she knew she could." Hetty placed a hand on the seated man. He rubbed his face with his own hands.

"I have already lost Gabriel, and my daughter is being held hostage by a psycho, I can't lose my best friend too, Hetty. I just can't. I know I am sounding just like her but it's true. She and Aisha are all I have left in this world." Johnston pleaded with Hetty.

"Ms. Smith hasn't been gone long and so we have a good chance of catching her." Hetty tried to comfort the NSA agent who was looking years and years older than he actually was. Callen felt for the man.

"How about you, with Mr. Callen and his team, go to her place and see if there are any clues there." Johnston nodded at this and everyone else agreed as well and they left.

On the drive back to Annie's place, Callen couldn't believe that all of it was faked when she had the emotional breakdown.

Those tears that she cried were not faked; not with that amount of tears and the sobs. No, those were not faked. Callen could only imagine what was going on in Annie's mind and with the puzzle pieces slowly falling into place he understood now why she was crying so hard. Why she was so adamant on thanking him. Callen should have realized that when she pecked him on the cheek that there was something wrong. As his thoughts continued on this track he got more and more upset with himself for not thinking of this like Hetty and Johnston.

"G, calm down, this isn't your fault either. We always knew that Annie must have been a smooth operator if she came so highly recommended as an agent from Hetty, this just proves it if she could fool the duchess of deception and her own best friend." Sam's voice filtered through and jumbled Callen's thoughts. This just caused Callen to grip the steering wheel tighter, so tight that his pale skin turned white.

"Yeah, but I should have." He insisted and punched the gas.

"Like Hetty said, Annie hasn't been left on her own for a while so she can't have gotten far. We will stop her G." Sam countered but Callen wasn't paying attention to him as he pulled into the parking garage for Annie's apartment building. Callen was thankful that as he found a parking spot he could see Kensi, Deeks, and Johnston already there. The group of five made their way up to Annie's apartment.

"Nice digs, though not what I expected from Annie." Deeks said after giving a low whistle upon entering the space.

"That's because she didn't decorate it. It came with the furniture, Annie is still shipping her stuff over here but it's taking time thanks to all of her different aliases." Kensi surprisingly explained before Johnston could open his mouth. The men turned to look at her.

"What? I said the same thing when I spent the night here after going clubbing with her about a month ago and so she explained to me what I just told you all." Kensi replied exasperated and walked over to the kitchen cabinets and started to rifle through the top shelves.

"Sleepover huh? Was there any pillow-fighting?" Deeks teased as he shifted over to the book shelf. Kensi did not answer but there was a disgusted grunting noise as she continued her search. Sam took the bathroom while Johnston and Callen went to her bedroom.

Annie's bedroom had the same feeling as the rest of the house: mainstream, sleek, and modern. The dark mahogany wood stopped and turned into warm beige carpeting and the mint green paint turned into teal. The bed was a canopy bed with mahogany wood to tie in with the rest of the house with pastel blue sheeting and comforters and slightly darker blue pillows.

"I will check her closet." Johnston stated and headed straight to the door on Callen's left. He didn't respond and went to the other side of the room where a desk with a computer was set up.

It wasn't booted up and he noticed that the desk seemed a bit longer than normal desks were. There was enough space for the computer to be situated with a printer, a small line of books that were probably Annie's favorites by how worn they looked, and a separate area to hold a desk calendar. But on top of the desk calendar that wasn't filled in, unsurprisingly, was an envelope addressed to 'My Friends and Family' in Annie's handwriting. Callen quickly snatched it up, ripped open the binding, and greedily read the letter that had dried splotches of tears.

To whomever is reading this,

By the time you are reading this, hopefully I have successfully traded myself for my adopted son, Jason, and goddaughter, Aisha's safety. I know that none of my friends and family would have wanted me to do this, hell, Sam would exclaim how it goes against the Navy SEAL training of always working as a team….

Callen couldn't help but smile at that, clearly hearing Sam go off right about now mentally in his head. But his smile faded with each sentence she wrote after this.

But, in this instance, I had to do this alone. Damien Stryker wants me and me alone. Or at least, he wants me more than Travis. This is why I had to provoke a fight with him and Hetty to get kicked off the case or at least to get some distance so that I can do this alone.

I had to not include Travis in this because he needs to be there for his young daughter, whereas my son has already grown up and has a family of his own. Jason doesn't need me anymore, he may want me to stay in his life but he doesn't need me, not like Aisha does for Travis. I'm just sorry that I had to go so low to as to pretend to doubt his love for Aisha and Gabriel to get a rise out of him. I know that Travis loves them more than his own life and I wish I could tell him that before this and apologize for it. Travis, just know that you are my best friend and I love all the quirks that come with being your friend, including your spontaneity, your exuberance when it comes to life, and your hyperness. Those traits always made working with you or just grabbing an after-work drink fun even though it got us into more trouble than not. Even then I knew that you always had my back. This is why I am getting your daughter back without you having to sacrifice yourself in the process. Aisha doesn't deserve to be orphaned again and you don't deserve to die for doing your job all those years ago.

This passage unsettled Callen. Annie doesn't deserve to die either, especially for the same reasons that Annie was willing to sacrifice herself for. Did she not realize this? Was she so blinded by her own self-righteousness that she doesn't see what she was doing? He almost crumpled up the letter or ripped it to pieces right there in his frustration at Annie's words and actions. But Callen read on with shaking hands.

I also want to say to my son Jason that I am so proud of him. He could have given up on life but he didn't. Jason is so much stronger than me, stronger than I ever could be. I just hope that Jason doesn't take it too far; he needs to learn when to retreat, not just when to fight. He needs to focus on his wife and his unborn child. Jason, if you ever read this, than please tell your child that I loved him or her the moment my eyes landed on the sonogram that you sent when I was in Tibet.

Annie was in Tibet?

And I also wish to thank you for bringing me to L.A. If it wasn't for you insisting that I be a part of your child's life by being situated so close then I wouldn't have created a life here that I enjoyed, that brought me back to my former self before Kevin's death three years ago. I was truly happy here and I'm upset that I couldn't meet my grandchild. Oh dear, I finally admit that I am going to be a grandma, too bad I won't get the novelty mugs and shirts now. Jason, just make sure that your child knows that he or she was loved, loved by so many people, me included even though he or she will never know me.

Not if Callen could help it. He was stunned that there was so many things about Annie he didn't know but then he recalled that she didn't know much about him either. Things were going to change once Callen saved her.

To my parents and younger sister, Carson, I want you all to know one last time that I love you all as well even though I say it every time we talk on the phone which is daily. Mom, Dad, you have taught almost everything I know and still find some way to teach me something new. I just want you both to know that you guys were the ones to teach me how to love and set the example for me, I just wish that I had the same loving relationship that you two have. As for Carrie, I want you to know that I am glad we got into that fight all those years ago that would lead to the closest thing I have ever had to a sibling in my life. I always knew that if I was in tight spot or just needed to get away or have someone to listen to me, you were there. You are the best sister I could ever have and the best agent the CIA has ever seen. So, continue to kick ass and take numbers but don't get so caught up in your job so as not to take a vacation or be in a steady relationship every now and then. I'm not asking you to settle down and have kids, but it's nice to have someone, trust me on that one.

Now for what I would like to say to my coworkers at NCIS: OSP. Firstly, there is my wonderful boss and mentor, Hetty. You need to know that you were the best boss and mentor anyone can have and it was an honor to be your fashion consultant/mentee. I also don't want you take this as losing an agent, this is not your fault and there is nothing you could have done to prevent this. This was my decision and I am responsible for my actions, not you. I'm also sorry for pressing that button to enrage you to kick me off this case.

Callen could just see Hetty's reaction when she read this. Although, he thought it was admirable of Annie to at least calm their little boss so she doesn't jump the gun and try to resign again because she let the guilt of the death of an agent get to her. But Callen knew that Hetty wasn't going to see it like Annie and would go after Annie like a pit-bull. Hell that is how everyone at NCIS will go after Annie after reading this letter.

For Eric, thank you for teaching me how to surf. And stay strong buddy; you will eventually get the girl. You should really just kiss her by now, the same goes for you too Deeks with your own lady love (and you both know to whom I am referring too).

This made Callen curious as to whom Annie was referring to and how much gossip was she apart of, or knew.

Deeks, I'm sorry to leave you with no partner to hustle pool with on Saturdays but I think you will be fine as long as you stay out of those bar fights or learn how to fight better.

Callen chuckled and finally knew how close she and Deeks were. He knew for a while now that they seemed to have a whole new level of understanding pass between the fashion consultant and the LAPD detective recently. This just explained a bit of it. Then again, Callen almost forgot that Annie knew who Deeks has feelings for recently, so maybe she was his kind of wing-man? Callen just shook his head and kept reading.

Kensi, it is alright to show some vulnerability every now and then for it doesn't show weakness, but it does let other people see a different side of you that is beautiful. You don't need to be so emotionally independent all the time. And second dates are not so bad once you find the right guy; in fact every date after the first won't be scary. So don't be afraid to take that chance.

Now that was a sight to see in Callen's opinion; Kensi showing her vulnerable side and seeing a guy past the second date. She opened up once during one of their cases and it turned around and bit her in the butt. This was why Kensi never showed such a vulnerable side at work ever since. Also, Kensi has had too many men disappoint her in life, especially of the romantic kind, so he also highly doubted that Kensi would ever do that either. However, with Annie, Callen never knew how much sway that woman could have on a person other than himself.

Nell, you fiery little pixie, you are like a second sister to me and I want you to stop toying with the poor man. I know you like him just as much as he likes you and you will be happy with him, and you deserve to be happy.

Curious, so Nell, Eric, and Deeks have people that they liked and Annie knew about it. She really was Hetty's protégé if she could gather all of this information about Callen's team in the short amount of time Annie worked at NCIS: OSP, which was a little over half a year.

Sam, you are probably the best partner an agent could ever want and the best person to pair up with to gang up on someone, not a bad listener either. Keep following your heart, Sam, you of all people know how to protect your friends, family, and unit the best. And they know it too, so don't be afraid to push to get your point across.

Callen knew that Annie and Sam were good friends and the way she described her relationship to him just solidified that to Callen. In reality, Callen was thankful that the two were so close because he knew that it would have been disastrous if Sam and Annie didn't like one another and Callen was also attracted to Annie. That scenario was real to Callen from his past experience with his ex-partner and ex-lover, Tracy, meeting his team. The two did not trust each other one bit and Sam was barely civil, being over-protective of Callen as usual. But not Annie, nope, Sam liked her right off the bat.

In fact, Sam has been not so subtly dropping hints to Callen to step up his game with Annie. He didn't realize how important and relieved Callen was that he had his partner and best-friend's approval of a girl, well Annie specifically, until that moment. Now, Callen didn't have to be torn between a girl he was falling ever-so-slowly-for or his partner. But all of Callen's thoughts stopped along with him breathing when he saw who Annie addressed next in her letter.

Lastly, I wish to address a good friend of mine, Callen. I want to thank him for respecting me, for not pressing me like anyone else would for information, for comforting me when I need it, and for helping me recuperate from the traumas of my past even though he didn't know it at the time. He was the reason why I had returned to being the Annie everyone knew and loved and not the shell of the person I was when I first arrived in Los Angeles. So I want to thank him for that.

Special Agent Callen's shaking hands turned to trembling as he re-read that passage over and over again. Annie was recognizing him for everything he did for her, like she did for everyone else, but Callen couldn't help feel extremely happy that she wrote this. She told him that he was making a difference when it came to the mysterious Annie, that he was doing what he set out to do which was for her to warm up to him. But all this happiness came crashing down all around him because then Callen remembered the reason why Annie had wrote this letter. She was going to sacrifice herself for her son and goddaughter and she was going to die for it. However, Callen wasn't going to let this happen. He knew that he had a firm resolve to save her but now it had multiplied and strengthened a hundred fold. Callen was going to get Annie back and get her to say these things to him in person and then he was going to tell her what she meant to him, if that was the last thing he would do.

May everyone that I have mentioned in this letter, minus Stryker, live long and happy lives. I'm sorry for the pain I will be putting them through and I wish it didn't have to be this way. Just make sure that they know that I loved them each in my own way and only want their safety.

With all my love,

Annie

Callen barely registered reading this last passage of her letter as he went over and over in his head where Annie could have gone and how she was going to get to the vacant lot. He only broke out of his thoughts when Johnston re-joined him in the bedroom.

"Well, I couldn't open her small armory due to Annie locking it up with a hand and retinal scanner and password combination. What do you have in your hands?" Johnston asked and Callen turned to see his team follow them into the room and shook their heads in a negative at finding any clues that could lead to Annie's next move in her plan.

"It is a letter she wrote to all of us." Callen explained and then read aloud the letter so that they didn't fight over who read it first and over whose shoulder. He watched their reactions and they were all similar to his.

They were mostly disgruntled and upset at her reasons about why she did what she claimed she had to do, everyone but Sam chuckled at her rib at his ranting about working as a team while Sam just smirked. Johnston, when Callen read aloud the part concerning him and his daughter, actually let slip a tear as he balled his fists. Although he did crack a small, sad smile at Annie's compliments about him and their friendship. Next everyone in Callen's audience saddened at the part when Annie talked about her family and how much she loved them.

But when Annie started listing off individual names of the people she worked with at NCIS, Callen got a slew of different reactions. Deeks paled and then immediately blushed when Annie talked about his love interest and penchant to get into bar fights he couldn't win. Kensi's reaction was similar but blushed more than anything else at her passage. Sam's smirk from earlier ago turned into a soft smile at Annie's words when she talked about him. Callen hesitated about reading the passage about him aloud but he knew that all of them were going to read the letter on their own sometime later so it was best if he read it now and not be teased about hiding it after this was all over.

Callen had trouble reading it aloud because his emotions were starting to rise up in his voice and tone. That and the intense stares he was getting from everyone, especially Johnston, was disconcerting. But Callen read it aloud all the same and felt the same emotional stir that he did when he first read it to himself. Everyone was silent after he was completely finished. Johnston was the first one to break it.

"Call Beale and Jones, tell them that I couldn't get into Annie's arsenal to find out which identity she had taken and that she probably used the hidden passageway behind her fridge to get out of here undetected. So they should bring up a map of the sewer lines and cross reference that to any buildings along the sewage line that have any connection to Annie's list of aliases. I need to make a quick couple of calls and then I will head back to ops center to help them tackle the veritable amount of identities that belong to Annie." He said and the NCIS team gave him a weird look.

"Annie has an arsenal and this place has a hidden trap door behind the fridge? Did you know that too Kens?" Deeks asked incredulously. However, Kensi looked just as surprised as the rest of them at Johnston's information.

"What do expect from a building that used to be a speakeasy in the 20's and now belongs to the Director of the CIA?" Johnston shrugged his shoulders and walked into the living room to make his calls.

"I will call Eric and Nell and tell them what Johnston just told us." Sam stated and walked out too.

"Does anyone else find this crazy that right now we are in an apartment complex for spooks?" Deeks continued on in his stunned reaction.

"Johnston didn't say this was building is occupied by spooks just owned by the CIA." Kensi clarified.

"Nope, this place is filled with ex-spooks. Not many, if any, are active but it has everything a retired operator would want in a place. I called Annie's parents and sister, they aren't going to take over the case but they are going to be a part of it so brace yourselves for the Smith family dynamic that is heading our way, it is going to be a bumpy ride." Johnston exclaimed as he and Sam re-joined them. Callen just nodded and decided to head back to headquarters to figure out if there was anything in the case files that would him to Annie and to be close on hand when Johnston, Eric, and Nell find something.