Author's Notes – Not mine. Never will be...
I apologize for not posting this yesterday. Apparently my brain needed to reboot from the chaos of life surrounding a holiday. Hope you all enjoy. Again, please feel free to leave comments and suggestions. I appreciate the feedback more than you guys probably realize!
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Nell wakes up the next morning surprised to see Callen still sleeping beside her. She knows he got up at some point because she recalls hearing him mulling around. Knowing he must be tired if he actually came back to bed and fell asleep, she shifts her body quietly and moves into the hall bathroom. Disrobing and stepping under the warm water, Nell lets it relax her body as she mentally prepares for the day ahead. She hadn't really thought through when she was going to talk to Kensi, Deeks, and Sam about the cancer, but she just isn't sure she is up to the task right now. She feels bad about keeping it from Deeks and Kensi, especially since finding out Callen told Sam. She decides it's not worth stressing out about opting instead to take a deep breath and push it from her mind for now.
Completing her shower, she moves quietly into the bedroom and gathers the remaining clothing items she needs before going back into the hall bathroom to get ready. All told it takes about forty minutes and she is ready to leave. Walking back into the bedroom, she sees Callen still sleeping and decides it's better to just let him be. She isn't sure she has ever seen him sleep this soundly and it's obvious his body needs it. Making her way to the kitchen, she grabs a container filled with various pieces of fruit and leaves the apartment with her bag over her shoulder.
Pulling the door shut behind her, she reaches makes her way to the parking spot that holds her car. At the same time Nell gets the door open, her phone rings. She sets down her breakfast and bag before sliding into the driver's seat. Reaching into the pocket of her cardigan, she retrieves the device and checks to see who is calling at such an early hour. Upon seeing the name on the caller ID, she laughs as she swipes her finger across the screen to answer the call.
"Good morning, Eric. How are you?" Hearing him heave a sigh, she realizes immediately it's going to be a bad morning. And probably afternoon. Placing her bluetooth along her ear, she activates it before continuing. "What's up?" Her voice is even as she pulls her car out of her apartment complex heading towards OSP.
"Nothing positive. That's for sure. Teaches me to come in early to get a couple of things caught up before you get back." She chuckles slightly at his exasperation. "We've got a case. Obviously. But I need you here now. Actually I probably could have used you an hour ago, but we won't go there."
"Why didn't you call me sooner? I could have come in sooner you know." She waits for his explanation even though she is pretty sure it will have something to do with her needing rest. Or less stress. Or some combination of both. She cringes internally when she hears confirmation of what she assumed would be his reason.
"I was trying to let you get some rest. Things haven't exactly been stress-free for you the last several days. Thought it would be better to try to handle it myself." She makes a mental note to slap her partner as soon as there is time. No way in hell she is interested in the you-need-to-be-stress-free-and-get-more-rest excuse being used. She needs things to be normal. At least as normal as they can be. She is perfectly capable of handling work and Nell is unimpressed it is already being affected.
She pulls into the parking lot of the Office of Special Projects and makes her way quickly to the ops center. Along the way, she clears her mind of any outside issues ensuring she will be ready to work when she walks through the automatic doors.
"Hey Eric." He offers a quick wave of the hand before pulling her into the mess he is trying to sort out. After giving her the basic outline he has, they work silently for several minutes before the arrival of the team breaks the focus. Knowing they have little time to spare, Nell and Eric move quickly to the front of the room to fill the team in on what they have discovered. She notices Callen watching her every move and makes another mental note to address that later. As she moves to walk around Eric, they inadvertently bump into each other in a rare moment of not anticipating what the other one was going to do.
Seeing Nell's breath catch slightly and her hand move quickly along her ribcage, Eric quickly fills the gap knowing she won't want any attention drawn to the herself. Seeing the shift in Callen's frame, she sends a clear message with just one look that says he better stay put. Removing her hand from her side, Nell inserts herself back into the brief when Eric takes a breath. A sideways glance at her partner confirms she is fine and he visibly relaxes.
Once finished, Callen gives orders to Kensi and Deeks before announcing what he and Sam will be working on while the other two are busy following up their leads. Nell moves to sit down, but stills her motion when she feels his hand along her arm. She looks up to see him giving her a questioning look. "Did you need something else Agent Callen?" They agreed to keep things professional at work. And she will be damned if that is going to change simply because of what is happening with her. Seeing the look on his face, she knows he hadn't expected to be blown off. He quickly schools his features before shaking his head as he releases the soft grip he had on her. She immediately moves to her terminal and sits down as she hears the swoosh of the automatic doors indicating the man has left the room.
She takes a breath before getting back to work. They have a lot of information to sift through still and it's only a matter of time before the team is calling with more leads to follow-up. Nell is well aware getting behind at this stage is not going to help anyone. Within half hour, the first request for clarification of information comes in followed quickly by numerous other requests. Eric and Nell work for the next several hours as they gather information for the team. Before they know it, lunch has come and gone with no time having been allotted to actually eat anything. Nell is silently happy she at least ate the fruit she had grabbed from home while she was driving to the ops center this morning because they don't seem to be any closer to a break than they were when the day started.
Another hour or so passes before Kensi pops her head into the ops center requesting the presence of Eric and Nell downstairs. She leaves before either can say a word. Eric shrugs his shoulders as he stands up. "Ow. Geez, I forgot how much it sucks to be stuck in a chair for that long." Stretching his long frame, "Remind me to take more frequent walking breaks next time partner!" He looks over at a very amused Nell who is walking past him on her way down to meet up with Kensi. Following her out the doors, "Thanks for the sympathy! It's refreshing, really I mean it."
Nell's laughter is interrupted by the sound of Sam's voice calling them into the makeshift living room area. The smell of Mexican food causes Eric is sweep past her as he reaches for the plate that is being offered by Deeks. "We figured you guys hadn't eaten either, so we got food for all." The six person team all sit down in various places along the room as they enjoy the downtime provided by the need for nourishment. "So how was your Hetty-imposed vacation?"
Looking over at Deeks, Nell smiles softly as she shrugs her shoulders. She knows the question is innocent and exactly the assumption she had hoped everyone would have gotten, but she just isn't in the mood to elaborate on anything. "It was time off." Callen looks over at the young woman for a second before she locks eyes with the senior agent. "You never seem to get done what you intend, but what can you do?" After several more minutes of eating and listening to the joking of her friends, Nell excuses herself. Walking towards the bathroom, she hears Callen calling her name. Knowing she just isn't in the right frame of mind to talk, Nell quickens her pace slipping through the door before he can reach her.
Looking in the mirror, she takes a breath before turning the water on and splashing some on her face. She isn't entirely sure what she had expected today, but the way Callen keeps following her every move is driving her crazy. At least Eric is treating her the same as before, save the initial comment about her staying stress-free. Of course, it's probably be due to the fact that they have had little time to breath. Certainly no time to dance around the is-Nell-alright card. Which is exactly how she wants it to be.
Before she has time to contemplate any other thoughts, Nell realizes someone else is in the room with her. Turning around, she sees Callen standing just inside the door. Her mind goes into a tailspin. "What the hell, Callen?" She is immediately pissed to see him invading a space that is clearly intended for him to stay clear of. So much for keeping things professional. She pushes past him and out of the door knowing full well he won't just let it go. Her suspicion is confirmed when his hand lands on her arm just as they make it out of the doorway.
"Nell. Can we talk for a minute?" She turns around to face the man in question before pulling her arm from his grip. Callen takes a breath and releases before he continues, "I just want to make sure you're alright." He leans in a little closer as he lowers his voice to a near-whisper, "You left this morning without even waking me up. Eric bumping you in the ops center. Things have been..." he pauses as he locks eyes with her, "a little crazy around here today."
She steps back as hazel eyes remain locked with blue, "And how is today any different than most of the days around this place?" Nell sees the answer flash across his face before he can even speak. Turning on her heels, she doesn't wait for his voice to deny what she already knows is the reason. Her forward motion is stopped by the sound of his voice calling her name. She takes a second before turning to face him. Working to maintain a calm facade in spite of her interest in yelling, "I swear to God Callen if you don't back off...," she looks to the right realizing the rest of the team has gathered along the sidelines and are now watching the exchange. Deciding she is too mad to care who thinks what, she finishes her sentence without closing the gap between them. "Everyone in this place will find how just how good of a shot I am."