What was both surprising and unsurprising was the fact that Hetty was there to greet them when they eventually arrived.

She managed to time it exactly right so that when they were pulling up, she was walking out of the building.

"Ah, boys, Miss Blye, I see you all arrived safe and sound." She greeted them as the car was turned off and they opened the doors.

"Barely." Callen informed her, getting out of the car.

He was possibly the most relaxed one there at the minute. Everyone else was looking more than a bit disgruntled. The trip had most definitely lasted an hour too long.

"Indeed, Mr Callen."

Somehow, he knew that she knew exactly what had gone on in the car in the past few hours. Ha, this was Hetty, of course she knew. That shouldn't have been surprising at all.

"Oh, it's good to stretch," Deeks said, stretching his arms right out.

Kensi dodged one of them. "Hey, watch it!"

"I didn't hit you."

"You nearly did."

Of course, those two devolved into bickering. Another thing that wasn't surprising. What was surprising that they had managed the whole ride over here with no bickering. That was nothing less than a miracle. Then again, Callen suspected that Sam would have made good on his promise and chucked them out of the car as they were going along the motorway if they had.

"There's freshly brewed coffee inside," Hetty told them, much to their relief.

"You are a life saver, Hetty," Deeks praised her as he and Kensi made for the building.

"Never again, Hetty," Sam said fervently.

He was the last to get out of his car, having spent a few moments just staring into the distance and honestly looking like he wanted to bash his head off his steering wheel. Thankfully he didn't and got out of his car. He did, however, shove his keys a little more forcibly than necessary into his pocket. Surprisingly, they didn't tear.

"Surely, you exaggerate, Mr Hanna."

"Why don't you try it on the way back then?"

They all turned to stare at him incredulously at his biting tone. That was not going to go over well. Proven by the slight arch of one of Hetty's eyebrows. That was never a good sign, Callen knew that from experience.

"Sorry, Hetty," Sam said contrite after a beat of silence as what he had said to his boss sunk in. "It's been a long trip."

"Indeed. Mr Hanna. Maybe you should take a few minutes to freshen yourself up."

And that definitely wasn't a suggestion. Sam gave her a nod and quickly walked past her into the building, not even looking at Kensi and Deeks.

They looked at each other.

"You know what? Coffee can wait," Deeks said.

"Yeah," Kensi agreed. "I had a nap in the car. I'm rested enough that I don't need caffeine to give me energy."

"I thought you said that you weren't sleeping?" Deeks asked.

"I wasn't!"

"That's not what the drool on my shirt said."

"I didn't drool on you."

"Oh, you did," Callen told her. She gave him an outraged look. "Actually," he added, "I'm impressed Sam didn't notice."

The outraged looked turned to panic.

"I didn't drool on his seats or something, did I?"

"Just on me," said Deeks.

"Oh, I did not drool on you."

"You just said you drooled."

"Sounds like you all had an exhilarating journey over here," Hetty said with a smile.

Yep, no doubt about it. She definitely knew.

"It wasn't so bad," Deeks said cheerfully, giving Hetty a grin as he let Kensi lean against him so she could stretch.

Callen could use that too. He was stiff.

"Deeks, you were the one that caused most of the stress on that journey." Callen told him, thoroughly amused.

Hey, he hadn't been the one driving. No had it been his car.

"I didn't cause most of it. I'd say we all contributed the same amount of stress."

They all gave him incredulous looks.

"Okay, I wasn't that bad." Deeks insisted. "Kensi was the one who got chocolate on Sam's car."

"That was an accident!"

"Well, I'm sure you will have all the kinks sorted out for the journey back," said Hetty.

Was it just him or did Hetty actually look amused by that idea?

"I'd rather hitchhike my way back than get back in that car." Sam announced as he came back outside looking slightly more refreshed.

He probably just needed some time away from them all. Or a lot of time. And some caffeine. Hetty had mentioned that there was coffee in there, right?

"At least you know you won't be a serial killer," Callen quipped.

Sam gave him such a dirty look that Callen was surprised he wasn't incinerated on the spot. Hetty looked very amused by this whole exchange.

"I'm pretty sure people might think Sam's a serial killer if he glares at people like that," said Deeks.

"Yeah, Sam," Callen teasingly nudged his partner. "You won't get very far of you go around like that. You have to look approachable."

"I'll approach you," Sam threatened.

"There will be no hitchhiking, Mr Hanna," Hetty scolded him because apparently that needed to be said.

Callen looked at his partner. Yeah, it needed to be said.

"Then I will rent those three a car so I can drive back alone."

"You'd really banish your partner?" Callen asked in a mock-injured tone.

It wasn't like he would listen to Sam anyway, let's be honest here.

"Yes."

There was absolutely no hesitation on his part there.

"There will be no riding separately," Hetty said firmly, interrupting before they could start arguing.

Sam gave her a dark look but said nothing. He knew when he was beat. Or he was just planning something.

"Uh," Callen interrupted, a thought just striking him. "Don't we have a case?"

That's why they came all the way out here, right?

"Ah, yes," Hetty clapped her hands together. "Very good, Mr Callen. Focus on the present. No point in worrying over the future."

If that was her way of saying that they should distract Sam from the idea of the journey back then Callen was all for it.