Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles or the characters. I'm just borrowing them. I make no money from this.

"Thanks Nell," Deeks said as Kensi parked. "Nell says the girl's name is Callie, probably 11 or 12 from what they could see. Last they could see she was hiding in a doorway." They got out of the car, eyes automatically scanning the area for signs of danger. They held their guns at the ready as they approached the payphone.

"No sign of anyone else around," Kensi said, her eyes quickly checking the nearby rooftops for snipers. "Was the girl hurt?"

"Nell said she was limping but they couldn't really tell how badly injured she might be." Deeks glanced at her. "So, how do you want to do this?"

Kensi glanced at him, then saw the look he was giving her. "Oh, no. No way. You know me and kids don't mix."

"Seriously, you're gonna be like that?" He rolled his eyes at her. "Fine. Probably better this way. Kids love me."

"That's cause they can tell you're at the same maturity level as them."

"Whatever, you're just jealous." He gave her a little grin before lowering his weapon and stepping toward the building. Trusting his partner to guard his back he approached the door. "Callie?" A slight movement caught his eye and he slowed, holding his hands up. "Hey, my name's Marty and this is Kensi. Hetty sent us, you spoke to her on the phone?" He watched as a head slowly poked it's way out of the doorway. Dirt and who knew what else was streaked across the young face that gazed out at him. "It's ok, I'm a cop. We're here to bring you somewhere safe."

She bit her lip, glancing from him to Kensi and back. Her vivid blue eyes stood out in her dirt covered face, the uncertainty clear in them.

"Hey, everything is going to be alright. I promise." Deeks took another step toward her.

"I want my mom," she whispered, arms wrapping around herself as she took a step out to meet him.

"I know, and we're gonna do everything in our power to get her back to you," Deeks reassured her. He frowned at the way she held herself, stiff and obviously in pain. Beneath the dirt that covered her head to toe, he could see tears in her clothing. There was a gash visible above her left eye, and a bruise could be seen forming beneath the dirt on her face. "Are you hurt?"

She shrugged, her arms wrapping tighter around her torso.

Deeks shared a look with Kensi as she put her also holstered her weapon. If this was a trap it would have been sprung already. Kensi nodded at him before taking a step toward the girl and placing her hand gently on her shoulder. Her nose wrinkled slightly at the smell, she was sure that wasn't just dirt but she ignored it as she bent down slightly. "Hey, why don't we take you someplace to get cleaned up. I'm sure you'll feel better after that and on the way you can tell us what you know so we can help your mom, ok?"

"Ok," Callie said softly, letting them lead her to the car.

They got her settled in the backseat and Deeks joined her, giving her a smile as Kensi started the car. "So, my partner's driving can be a bit much for the uninitiated. If you get scared, feel free to squeeze my hand."

"Hey! I am a great driver!" Kensi said indignantly as she headed in the direction of the boat-shed.

"Sure, just keep telling yourself that," Deeks said, winking at Callie and getting a slight smile in response. "So, what's your mom's name?" He turned his head and watched as Kensi surreptitiously grabbed her phone and dialed Ops before nodding at him.

"Erin, Erin O'Rourke."

"Do you have any idea why they would have taken her?" He frowned as Callie nervously chewed her lip. "Hey, it's ok. Just tell us whatever you can."

"I'm not supposed to talk about it."

"Hey, we're the good guys. I promise you, we just want to help." Deeks reached over and squeezed her hand. "You can trust me." He watched as she thought it over before fixing him with that blue-eyed gaze. The look in her eyes made him uncomfortable, as if she was judging his trustworthiness, seeing deep into his soul. She must have found what she was looking for because she began to speak.

"Mom used to be a federal agent, before I was born. She got injured, really bad." Deeks exchanged a look with Kensi as Callie drew a deep breath. "I'm not even supposed to know but I heard her talking once. She made me promise not to tell anyone. That the bad guys would come looking for her if they knew."

"Do you know what agency she was with?" Kensi asked, glancing at her in the rear-view mirror.

Callie fidgeted. "I don't know. She really didn't want to talk about it. It made her sad. Bad memories, I guess." She turned to look out the window.

Kensi frowned. "What about your dad?"

But the question only made Callie slump more. "Don't know. Never met him. Mom didn't talk about him much." Her hand came up to clutch the locket she wore, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"That's a nice locket," Deeks commented. "Can I see?"

Callie glanced at him, pulling away slightly as her grip tightened on it.

His eyebrows went up as he saw her becoming defensive. "Ok, never mind." He grinned suddenly as Kensi slowed the car. "Well, we're here, in one piece too."

"You want to walk next time?" Kensi asked as they got out of the car.

"Hmm, let me think about it. Walking who knows how many miles vs. your driving. Decisions, decisions. Ow!" He rubbed his arm where Kensi had punched him. "Really? You see what I have to put up with?" Deeks asked Callie.

Callie giggled weakly as they led her into the boat-shed.

"Here, sit down," Deeks said as he walked to the small fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

"Thank you," Callie said as she accepted it. She opened it and took a small drink before beginning to pick at the label.

Kensi and Deeks joined her at the table. "I know you would feel better if you were clean but first we need you to tell us whatever you can about what happened to you and your mom."

Callie nodded and looked down at the table. "We'd just finished watching a movie and mom was telling me to go to bed. I was arguing with her, said I wasn't tired. I told her I wasn't a baby and didn't need her to tell me when to go to bed." She reached up and covered her face as tears threatened to fall. "God, the last thing I might have said to her would have been an argument."

"Hey, your mom loves you and knows you love her. All kids argue with their parents," Kensi told her as she reached out to squeeze her hand. This was reminding her of her own argument with her father. Hopefully Callie would have a happier ending than she had.

Callie gave her a weak smile of thanks. "That's when they burst in. Broke down the door. Mom told me to run but they came in the back too. They grabbed us and tied us up with duct tape." She frowned. "Mom tried to fight but she can't move real good and they kept hitting her. Then this one guy stepped forward and Mom recognized him. Called him Connors. He spoke with an Irish accent." She shuddered. "He grabbed her face and said he'd been looking forward to this for a long time. Said he was going to make her pay." Callie took a deep shuddering breath, arms wrapping tightly around her torso. "Mom begged him to let me go. Said she'd do anything if he did. That's when he looked at me for the first time." She shuddered, tears finally beginning to fall.

Kensi and Deeks shared another look. Without a word Kensi got up and knelt next to her. "Did he hurt you?"

Callie shook her head. "No, he just got this really creepy smile on his face. He came over and grabbed my face, turning it this way and that, just looking at me. The look on his face scared me. Then he turned back to my mom and told her 'Why would I do a thing like that when you've just handed me the perfect tool for my revenge?' That's when Mom started to cry. They took us out and put us in this van and started to drive. That one guy, Connors, kept going on about how he was going to make Mom pay." She had to stop, and take a few breaths, trying to calm down.

Unable to look at the two adults, she stared at the table for a long moment before continuing. "Mom got really quiet and still. I was so scared, and I was crying for her. Connors started taunting her about me. Saying how she couldn't protect me. Mom rolled over toward me, told me to ignore him, that everything would be alright. He got pissed at that and told her she should know better than to make promises she couldn't keep. He came toward us and Mom pushed me toward the door then swung her feet knocking him down as he tried to kick her. He fell into the other guys and Mom yelled at me to run. I managed to get up and get the door open while she kept getting in the way. I jumped out of the van." She reached up and rubbed her head. "That hurt. I thought someone would see me and help but there was no one around."

She bit her lip again as the other two exchanged another look, unable to believe she had thrown herself out of a moving vehicle on purpose.

"I left her." The tears flowed more freely now. "The van had stopped and I could hear them hurting her. There was no one around. I wanted to help her but then two of them jumped out and started to run toward me. They had guns. So I ran. I ran and I hid in a drainage ditch." She covered her face with her hands. "I just left her with them."

"Hey, you did the right thing." Deeks told her gently. "Your mom needed to know you were safe. And this way people know what happened and can look for her. There was nothing you would have been able to do by staying."

"But-"

"No, Deeks is right. They would have hurt you to hurt your mom. This way she has a chance," Kensi told her as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, I think it's time you got cleaned up. I'll show you where there's a shower and we'll get you some clean clothes. Then we'll have someone check you out."

Callie shook her head. "I'm fine."

Deeks snorted. "You jumped out of a moving vehicle. You are not fine. I know a guy who's done that a lot of times, believe me, I know you gotta be hurting."

"But my mom-"

"We're working on it. But you suffering isn't going to help her any."

Callie sighed and let the matter drop, letting Kensi lead her to the shower.