N/A: I always thought that uncertainty is the only certainty in life, but the certainty most difficult to assume.

Chapter 14

L.A. 23th December

-"Owen, this is not a negotiation! I'm going to order Eric to reprogram the satellites. We need answeeers!" – Hetty yelled at the phone. For a moment she raised her glasses and pressed her closed eyes with the index and thumb of her left hand. Some minutes later, she replied more calmly:

- "I know, I know, but you have to understand that this whole situation it's not easy for any of us. Please keep me posted."

Frustrated Hetty headed to ops.

-"Mr. Beale, we have to stick to the usual 30 min."

-"But Hetty..."- protested the exhausted geek. He and Nell have been working non-stop since the information about Washington arrived. The only sun they have seen was through the computer screen.

-"I know Eric. Do what you can."- Hetty said softly patting him on the shoulder.

-"Good morning, good morning!" - saluted playfully Deeks entering in ops with 4 cups of coffee and a big bag of chocolate cookies on a tray. –"Today I'm feeling lucky, guys and when I feel lucky, good things happen!"

-"Food in ops Mr Deeks?"- asked Hetty.

- "Extraordinary situations require extraordinary measures, as you told me once, Hetty."- he answered boldly.

Nell and Eric looked at the cookies' bag and then to Hetty and then again to the cookies, and then again to Hetty ...

Deeks looked at the cookies' bag and then to Eric and Nell and then to Hetty…

Hetty looked also at the cookies' bag, and then to Eric and then to the computer…

Last days have been probably the most stressing days of the young people's life, and all of a sudden a simple bag of cookies had a whole new meaning.

-"All right!" – she said seeing the faces in front of her to lit up. –"I just hope that the exception don't become a rule, Mr Deeks. And, Miss Jones, please, makes sure your partner here doesn't spill the coffee or the crumbs on the computer."

-"Yes Madam!"- Affirmed Nell. As Hetty turned to go downstairs she gave five to Deeks saying thank you without making any sound and reached the cookies' bag just a second before Eric. The chase for the cookies' bag had started at ops.

Deeks and Hetty were descending the stairs when they heard Sam and Kensi shouting at each other. Since his return from Cyprus Sam was extremely frustrated and anxious. Grumpy beyond all recognition he passed his hours hitting the punching ball on the gym. He didn't sleep, barely ate and he had developed an insane obsession with the satellite images.

Kensi dedicated her days at the exhausting task of reading the lips and transcribe any tape containing images of suspected collaborators with terrorist groups in Turkey and Syria. Maybe it won't be useful to save Callen, but the agency could always use the information. For her it was clear that Callen was taken as a hostage by the Turks. Now, taking a break between tapes, Kens was cleaning, again, her desk, driving Sam even crazier.

- "Stop with that and focus on something useful Kensi!"- Yelled Sam from behind his desk.

-"You stop telling me that! I'm doing more useful stuff than you right now. If you need help just ask for it because now I can't see how I can help you!"- Shouted back an angry Kensi.

- "When Callen come back he'll find our table in perfect order."

-"He's not coming back!"- replied without thinking Sam.

An awkward and dense silence spread on the open space. It was as if the time had stopped for some seconds.

-"Unless we'll help him Mr. Hanna" – The intervention of Hetty who was descending the last step followed by Deeks, broke the spell.

–"One word, you three, on my desk, now"- ordered firmly.

Deeks, Kensi and Sam sat around Hetty's table. The tension between Kensi and Sam was still palpable. The signs of stress and fatigue were well visible on all the four faces.

Ceremoniously Hetty prepared a pot of tea without saying a word. Kensi open her mouth to speak impatiently more than once, but even with her back turned at her, Hetty stopped her intentions just raising her finger. The three colleagues shared looks of astonishment, but not in the conspiratorial way they used. Something was broken. In fact someone was missing.

After an eternity Hetty served the tea.

-"This is Turkish tea, from the exact region where Mr. Callen is now. Not easy to find and delicate to prepare. You'd better appreciate it because it's my last reserve."- she said blowing her china cup.

- "I've reunited you here to give you a direct order and any objection is inadmissible. It's a well meditated decision that maybe you'll not be able to understand right now, but you'll do long term."- she paused letting the agents assimilate her words, and then she added:

- "Once you finish your tea, I want you to take the day off."

-"Whaaaat? How you can say that Hetty?"- asked furiously Sam.

-"No way! If you want me to stop cleaning I'll do it, but I'm not going anywhere!" - Said Kensi stubbornly crossing her arms across her chest.
Just Deeks, for once, remained silent.

- "I'm not saying it Mr Hanna, I'm ordering it, and if I need to confiscate your badges I'll do it. There isn't the slightest doubt about that." – Affirmed Hetty in a soft but firm tone - "Listen to me. Six days have passed since Mr. Callen disappeared."

- "You're not giving up on him, aren't you Hetty?"- said Deeks in a small voice.

- "No, no, . I promise you, all of you, we'll find Mr. Callen even if is the last thing I'll do in my life. Last week, – she continued - has been a bloody hell for everyone. We need to rest, we need a break. Sam, you need to spend some time with your family, and all you need to get fresh air, a good meal and a whole night of sleep. Tomorrow you'll see everything with a new perspective."

- "But Hetty G maybe haven't this long!"- retorted Sam with a lump on his throat.

- "Sadly, we don't know that Mr. Hanna, besides, have you any new idea? Feel free to share and we'll start to work on it right now. If not, the order is irrevocable. Enjoy your tea and I'll see you tomorrow."

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- "You know what?" –asked Deeks who was, for once, driving Kensi home - "let's do Callen's favorite things."

- "Deeks, please, what for?" – Kensi wasn't on the mood.

-"I don't know. Karma? Attraction law? Just fun? C'mon Kens! What would do Callen on a sunny day off like this one?"- insisted Deeks.

- "I don't know. Going to the beach I suppose, grab some beer and eat a cow alive."

- "Sounds perfect! let's go to the beach, then!"- Deeks said doing a not very legal U-turn.

- "Hey, you're crazy"- exclaimed Kensi smiling for the first time.

- "I know. And you love it."

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Sam was still furious when he took the highway to go home breaking by far the speed limit.

- "Kensi is completely insane with all the cleaning and nobody notice it! And Deeks, acting like his idiot dog, following everybody without doing anything. But Hetty, I didn't see that coming! a damn tea! When G is out there! What she was thinking? A day off now?!"

He didn't understand her boss. He has more ideas, he'll contact again General Miller, he could put some pressure on Granger, and the drones, yes, the drones. He didn't need any tea or a break. He just needed… his partner back.

He was struggling to take the front door keys from his pocket when Michelle opened the door. Just a look on the big boy and she understood.

-"Come here, baby." – she said opening her arms.

And hugging Sam as hard as she could, she let him cry his heart out.