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

"Why would Arkady send men after you?" Sam asked.

"He's done it before. Remember Niko?" Callen pulled out some zip ties and started cuffing the men. "Have someone pick them up and hold them. It looks like I've got to have a chat with my old friend."

"Your chat will have to wait. You've got more important things to worry about."

"Like what?"

Instead of replying, Sam just glanced over Callen's shoulder.

He turned and sighed as he spotted the teenager nervously glancing at him over the hood of a nearby car. "Callie?" She rose to her feet but didn't move. "It's okay," he said as he started toward her.

Callie bit her lip as she glanced from him to the two bound men. She was still shaken by the anger she had heard in his voice, the threats he had made. He had sounded like he'd really do it, shoot them where they stood. But wasn't that part of his job? And he'd shot Connors, killing him, as well as some of his men. She suddenly wasn't sure just who her father really was. So deep in her thoughts, she didn't notice that he was now right in front of her and flinched as he placed his hand on her arm.

Callen winced at her flinch, his heart breaking at the uncertain look she was directing at him. "Oh God, Callie, I am so sorry for scaring you like that. I wish you'd never seen or heard any of that." He pulled her against his chest, holding her stiff body against his own.

"W-would you have done it? S-shot t-them?" she stuttered out.

"If I'd had to," he admitted. "They had weapons, if they'd drawn them I would have done what I needed to in order to protect you."

She lifted her head to look at him. "S-so you wouldn't have shot him if he didn't start talking?"

"No, I was just trying to scare them, get them to talk," he told her. He sighed in relief as she relaxed in his hold. "Come on, I'll have Sam bring you home."

"What? Why?" She frowned up at him. "Where are you going?"

"There's someone I've got to go talk to." He turned to look at his partner.

Sam shook his head before he could say anything. "Forget it G, we've talked about this Lone Wolf thing of yours. I'm not letting you go off alone."

Callen opened his mouth to argue with him but Callie beat him to it. "You told me you have a partner and a team to watch your back. But how are they going to do that if you go off alone?" she stared up at him pleadingly.

He sighed, unable to ignore her pleading expression or the fear still lurking in her eyes. "Alright."

Sam smirked at him. "I could get used to this. Least now I have someone to call and talk some sense into your foolish head when you get it in your head to go off by yourself."

The arrival of Kensi and Deeks halted any comeback Callen would have made. "Everything alright?" Kensi asked as they joined them, a couple of cops taking custody of the two bound men.

"Fine. They were sent by Arkady. Sam and I were just going to go pay him a visit, that is if you can watch Callie?"

The girl in question frowned. "I don't need a babysitter, I'm 14 not 4."

Callen turned to her. "I know but I want someone with you just in case, at least until I find out what Arkady wants."

Her eyes widened. "Y-you think he'll send someone else?" She glanced around.

"No, but I'd rather not take that chance. This is just how Arkady operates, how he gets my attention. I'm sure that you're in no danger." He glanced at the two younger agents and they nodded.

"Hey Callie," Deeks said as he stepped up beside her. "So, been doing some grocery shopping huh? Anything good?" He started poking through the bags on the ground. Miraculously it seemed like nothing had broken. "What, no ice cream?"

Callie let herself be distracted by his actions, giggling at his antics.

Kensi met Callen's gaze. "We'll take good care of her." He nodded and she joined her partner. "Well we'd better get these back to your house before anything spoils." She grabbed a couple of bags and headed to her car.

Deeks winked at the girl. "Hope you don't have any chocolate in any of those bags or it'll be long gone by the time we get back to your house."

Callen watched as the three placed all of the groceries in the car before climbing in themselves. He lifted his hand and smiled as Callie turned to look at him before the car pulled out. Then his face became serious as he turned to his partner.

"How do you want to play this?" Sam asked as led Callen to the Challenger. Easier to take one car, they'd come back for Callen's later.

"He sent men to follow me and my daughter, he put her in danger. How do you think I want to handle this?"

Sam's eyebrows shot up slightly at the anger evident in his partner's voice. "The direct approach it is."

They pulled up to the house and got out, heading for the door. It was opened by one of Arkady's men before they reached it. "Mr. Kolcheck-" he started to say only to be grabbed and slammed up against the wall by Callen, Sam covering his back with his gun drawn.

"Where is Arkady?"

The man gestured toward the back. Callen quickly patted him down and removed his weapon before shoving him ahead of them. "Move." The man quickly led them to the back patio where they found Arkady eating a meal.

"Ah, my old friend. I have been expecting you," Arkady said as he rose to his feet. Gesturing to his employee being held at gun point. "You could have just knocked on the door."

Callen shoved the man aside as he strode up to Arkady and got in his face. "You sent men to follow me. Why?!"

Several of Arkady's men started to move at his actions but the older man waved them off. "It's okay, he's old friend," he told them. "Leave us." They did so. "Can I offer you something to eat? Drink?" He gestured to the loaded table as he sat back down.

Callen glared at him, placing his hands on the table to lean over him. "I asked you a question, I'm waiting for an answer. And if I don't like it you might end up regretting sending them away."

Arkady waved him off and took a sip of his drink. "I like to keep an ear out for news about certain people. I'd heard rumors, wanted to see if they were true."

"What rumors?" Callen bit out.

"That you have been seen with a young girl and that there was quite the resemblance." Arkady's grinned widely at the look that came over the agent's face. "Then it is true. Congratulations my old friend. When do I get to meet the little one?"

Callen grabbed him by his shirt. "Stay away from her. And don't send anyone to follow me unless you want them shot. And if you send men near my daughter, I will come here to shoot you after I've dealt with them."

"Easy, easy," Arkady waved his hands to calm him. "It was not a threat. I am very sincere in my happiness for you. You need someone in your life. And I didn't send them to your house," he pointed out, recalling the previous statement about sending men to his house.

Callen released him and turned to walk away.

"Wait. Here," Arkady tossed something to him and he caught it. "A gift, for the girl."

Callen studied the object. It was a Matryoshka doll, one of those carved wooden dolls that opened up to reveal a smaller doll inside, and so on. He remembered Alina having a set as a child. He raised an eyebrow at Arkady.

"What? All little girls love dolls," the other man said. "Children are an important legacy. I envy you the chance to be a father, a chance I have never received."

"Maybe if your wives didn't keep mysteriously dying that wouldn't be the case," Callen told him.

Arkady shrugged. "Yes, so unfortunate I am. Let me know if you or the girl need anything, I am always happy to help old friends. And maybe now that you have a child to think of you will decide on a different career choice? I pay very well if you find you would rather work in the private sector, and I am always looking for those with special skills." He glanced at Sam. "The same offer is of course extended to your partner, I have seen how great you are together."

Sam and Callen exchanged a look before simultaneously snorting and shaking their heads. "I'll keep that in mind," Callen said as they turned and left.

"All of that just for a job offer?" Sam asked skeptically as they got in the car.

"No, he was looking for confirmation about Callie. He loves information."

"Yeah, and what's he going to do with that information?"

"Nothing, unless he wants me to kill him. No, he was just letting me know that he knew." He took out his phone to call Hetty, explaining the situation and giving the all clear. "Come on, I want to go home and check on Callie. I really scared her earlier."

"She's a kid, they're resilient. Besides, it sounded like she understood earlier," Sam told him.

"Yeah." He sighed. "Just wish she didn't have to."

"It's the world we live in. I'd feel the same way if it had been my kids. Probably would have done a lot worse than threaten those guys."

"Thanks."

They stopped at the supermarket so Callen retrieved his car. "Thanks again Sam. But I'll be fine. Go home, spend some time with Michelle and the kids."

He nodded. "Just call if you need me G, I've got your back. Now get home before that girl of yours worries herself to death about what's keeping you." He clapped him on the back before driving away.

Callen shook his head and climbed into his own car, heading home. Pulling into the driveway, he spotted Deeks peering through the blinds and nodded to him as he got out. He'd barely walked in the door when a blur threw itself at him. His arms automatically wrapped around Callie as she clung to him, steadying her.

"You're back!" She pulled back slightly, her eyes sweeping over him. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine. Like I said, that's just the way Arkady is. He's an old friend with a strange sense of humor. He thinks sending people to watch me counts as a good way to invite me over to talk."

Callie frowned at him. "What did he want?"

Callen met Kensi and Deeks' eyes before responding. "Oh, he'd heard about you and wanted to congratulate me. He sent this for you." He handed her the doll.

She took it, studying it. "A Matryoshka doll?" At his look she explained, "Mrs. Guseva had a few. This one's actually pretty nice but it looks expensive."

"Knowing Arkady it probably is."

Her eyes widened and she started to hand it back. "I can't accept it."

"Relax. He can afford it and it's part of the game we play. Why don't you go put it in your room?" He'd taken the chance to examine it in the car. It was just the set of dolls, not that he really expected Arkady to have tried anything.

Callie glanced at him before doing what he suggested.

He turned to the others. "Thanks again. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, she's a great kid," Deeks told him.

"We're here for you, anything you need," Kensi added before they left.

He sighed as he entered the kitchen and looked in the fridge. At least now he had food in it. Pulling out some deli meat, he grabbed the bread and started to make a couple of sandwiches. He handed one to Callie as she entered the kitchen. "Here, I figured you might be hungry." He took a bite of his own sandwich.

"Thanks," she said as she took it. But she simply held it before looking at him. "Dad?" He turned to look at her. "What happened today, does that happen a lot?"

He put his sandwich aside. "Being followed? Not really. It's very rare that people know who I am, let alone how to find me. But it has happened a few times." He watched as she bit her lip. "Hey, you did very well today. You spotted them and didn't let on that you knew they were there, you stayed calm and most important of all you did what I told you to. I wouldn't have let anything happen to you."

She smiled slightly at his words. "Thanks but I was so scared even though I knew you wouldn't let anything happen."

He pulled her into a hug. "I know and I'm sorry about that."

"Do you think, I mean, is it possible," she stumbled over her words, obviously unsure.

"What's wrong? You know you can ask me anything and I'll answer the best that I can."

"It's just, when they were following us, it felt like when Connors grabbed me and Mom, and then when he had us in that factory. I just felt so useless and afraid." She looked up at him. "Do you think you can teach me some stuff so I don't feel that way again? I mean, what would I have done if you hadn't been there and those men were trying to grab me?"

Callen didn't even want to think of her being put in such a situation but he knew it was a possibility. One that he would do his best to keep from ever happening. But he pushed those thoughts away to answer her question. He kissed the top of her head. "If you want then yes, there are a few things I can teach you to defend yourself. Things to help you get away until you can get help."

"Thanks Dad." She squeezed him before stepping away and picking up her sandwich.

"Anything you need, I'm here for you." He gave her a smile before resuming eating his own sandwich, knowing that they would be okay.