Title : Cure for the soul.
By : GirlOfSpring
Pairing : Nell/Callen
Summary: It all started with a certain intelligence analyst who needed her music and a certain special agent who was disturbed by the noise. A Nallen story
Disclaimer : Don't own, don't own, don't own.
Note: A third new chapter already after the big silence, I feel like I am kind of making up to you guys. And how about we try to go for the 100 reviews? I think that would be an amazing achievement! And, for those who remember me thinking about a dream for G or Nell, I have been thinking some more and after G having his dream I think it is time Nell got hers.
Now, thank you all for the reviews and the favourites and all the people following the story. You are all amazing for letting me know you enjoy what I am writing.
Shestarsky: I am actually quite looking forward to doing something with Sam's wife. And the song he is humming, I will have to get back to you about that. For now, I am mostly looking at the CD he has gotten from Nell. Before that, he didn't really listen to music and that CD is what actually got him started with it. But, I'll get back to you!
Desnouer: Thank you! This chapter only really gets to a bit of Nallen more to the end, but that's something I am going to work with in the next chapter.
Shaz1: And thank you for your review! I guess G felt kind of guilty for being a bit grumpy.
Angelscatie: He might have realized it, but he will still more or less have to accept it. Thank you for the review!
Kath46: An author loves hearing that! Do you maybe have some tips or things you have noticed while reading, since you read everything in a short period of time? Thank you for your review!
Stargazer22123: Thank you so much for your review! (Really, quite the compliment there) I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story as well.
And now, on with the story!
~~~|G|O|S|~~~
After Nell had told Hetty about the discovery she had made, she got the task to keep looking into the four men to see if she could find more connections.
There might be something in there, somewhere, that could help them to find where they were hiding now. At least, as long as they were still within borders. Otherwise, things could get very complicated.
Nell felt hopeful with the new assignment. She wanted to find them. Even if Sam had killed the middle brother, the one that had stabbed G, the other two were still dangerous and had to be taken so they could be brought to court and locked up.
So, she kept looking.
Eric was sitting at the work station next to her, typing furiously as well.
He had a few minutes and was helping her along with all the information she had to go through.
"It is quite stupid that he got himself killed though. If he would have still been alive, we could have interrogated him and maybe he would have told us something that we can't find in the files.."
Nell nodded slowly before pulling up the video of the traffic cam again, showing the accident.
It was a remote area of town, not too many people around, and the accident happened early in the morning.
The street was practically deserted, except for one man who was walking past some stores, reading the paper he was holding and sipping from some coffee.
Thomas Kerry was having a regular morning.
He walked past a green truck that seemed as normal as every other car in the street, but when he continued his walk, the truck started its engine and slowly pulled out of the parking space.
Not hitting full gas, the car stayed behind their man, who was too engrossed with some article, didn't notice. He finished his coffee and made a move to cross the street to throw the can in the bin.
He never reached the other side of the street.
When he crossed, he noticed the green truck and froze before dropping everything and running for dear life.
The truck jumped forward when the driver hit gas and started following the running man, who tried going left and right but was never fast enough to outrun his followers.
Suddenly, he dodged to the right again, making a beeline for something that couldn't be seen from the view of the traffic camera, when another car came out of nowhere and hit him dead centre.
It was a simple, black sedan with no plates or anything that could help them identify the vehicle.
Thomas Kerry flew through the air, hitting the pavement with a thumb that couldn't be heart because there was no audio on the video, but Nell could imagine it perfectly.
She winced, but it wasn't over yet.
The man was still moving slightly, lifting one of his arms as if he wanted to use it to push himself up again.
His legs weren't moving and one of them looked as if it had been broken.
The black sedan pulled back, before hitting gas again and going straight for the helpless man.
Nell felt a wave of nausea hit her when the car ran him over, effectively killing him in another go.
A few yards further, the black sedan stopped and the driver got out.
He was dressed completely in black and a gun could be seen in a holster around his shoulders.
His face wasn't visible because of a mask that covered his face and the top half of his head. He looked at the camera, before smiling wickedly and forming a gun with his right hand, imitating a shot at the camera, before walking to the green truck while favouring his left shoulder.
He got in and the truck left the scene, after which the video ended.
Nell turned her chair around to Eric, who had stopped typing and had been watching the video with her.
He had paled a bit and actually looked just a bit green. She felt exactly the same. The remains of Thomas Kerry had been found only moments after the events of the video. Blood had been everywhere, bones crashed because of the car and his face could barely be recognised.
"Well, somebody out there really didn't like this guy. It must have been a bad relationship for the driver to go back and run him over another time just to make sure he would be dead." Nell said quietly. Eric nodded in agreement.
"I have been tracking the green truck after the accident. I lost them once, but found them again and they parked the car in a garage without cameras. The truck hasn't come out since, but they drivers are probably long gone."
Nell sighed before looking back at her screen, before realising something.
"Wait a second.. The driver of the black sedan was favouring his shoulder.. His left shoulder, if I remember correctly."
She put the video in rewind, looking for the part where the driver left the car to get into the green truck.
He was definitely holding his left arm close to his body as if he wasn't too sure about using it. Driving a car must have been difficult, but doable.
"And we know now that Kerry knew about the brothers, might even have helped Jason to get back on American soil without being flagged at customs.. And a while after, this guy gets killed by two men who are working together.."
Nell was talking to herself as she pulled up the files from the shooting at the house where they had found the three brothers.
Deeks' report stated that Nick Demay had been hit by a bullet in the left shoulder while fleeing the scene.
They sat next to each other, staring at the words on the screen that might be the clue to knowing who had killed the corporal.
"Wait, I'll run a program to compare height and built to see if they match." Eric stretched his fingers before typing again, starting a program and pulling up the information from the personal files of Nicholas Demay and comparing the information with the man in the video.
"If we get lucky, I can even compare the facial features until a certain extent to see how probable it is that it's a match. The mask he's wearing is quite tight.."
For a few seconds, it was completely silent while Eric ran the data and Nell stared at the screen.
Was it possible? Could this man have hit the corporal, and ran him over again to kill him, in cold blood?
She shivered when she remembered the way he had waved at the camera and made the movement of the shooting gun.
A beep from the computers made her look up.
"And?"
Eric turned around in his chair, his shoulders tense and with a grim expression on his face.
"Built and height is a match of 92%. Facial features one of a mere 76%. But I think you're right. It's him."
~~~|G|O|S|~~~
After a day of work, G was sitting at his desk and filling out the paper work.
He sighed while quickly thinking about the expenses of the day and noting down the number, before turning the page to continue his work.
Nell and Eric had done a great job on identifying Nick Demay as their killer, but it still meant they had to find the brothers in order for them to also close of this case.
And locating those brothers was proving to be more difficult than they had thought.
Russell Demay had been release by the coroner and he had been buried, so they had put some people to check the grave in case one of them showed up. It wasn't very likely, but you couldn't be too sure. From what they knew, they had been very close.
At the same time, they were trying to find out more about their victim and his relation to the brothers. They had the theory that he had helped Jason O'Dowd get back after his fake death, but they had to find the proof to be sure.
So, he and Sam and Kensi and Deeks had been interviewing his old buddies from the navy to find out more about him. No such luck so far.
But, for once, it meant everybody could go home at a more or less human hour instead of staying until after the clock started showing double digits.
He looked up from his paper before glancing behind him, where Sam was talking to Hetty about something. He couldn't exactly hear what they were talking about, but he had some idea.
His partner got up from the chair he had been sitting in, nodded at their boss and came walking back to them as Hetty picked up the phone and said something.
G turned back around and watched as Sam sat himself on the edge of his desk, not saying anything. A few seconds later, Eric and Nell appeared at the top of the stairs and came down quickly.
G followed them with his eyes, even when in the end he kept watching Nell as she followed Eric down the stairs.
She glanced sideways at her boss, a question clearly in her eyes, but kept following the tech as he walked to their desks.
"Hetty told us to come down here, what's up?"
Eric was still holding his tablet, his fingers at the ready in case he had to do something and every few seconds glancing down at it as if he was waiting for the results of some sort.
Nell wasn't carrying anything, yet she looked just as curious.
They weren't the only ones.
Kensi and Deeks had looked up from their work as well, the same question now in their eyes.
"What's going on?" Kensi was the first to ask.
She looked at him and G shrugged in response before making a slight nod with his head to Sam, who cleared his throat. He still didn't look too happy with the whole predicament, but he would go with it.
G was quite curious how everybody was going to react.
"Next week there is going to be an opening for a new art exhibition. I have tickets for all of us."
He was speaking a bit curtly, but was still holding up the cream envelopes that contained the invitations.
G nodded at his partner but looked up when Deeks raised a hand.
"So, any particular reason you are handing out expensive looking invitations for art exhibitions?" He asked, grinning mischievously.
Sam grumbled slightly and if looks could kill, Deeks would be long dead.
"Kensi, what do you think?"
Deeks turned to his partner, who had put her elbow on the table and was leaning with her chin in her hand, thought in her eyes.
"Hmm, I am not too sure. But if I do remember correctly, Sam's birthday is coming up.."
"Wow Sam, are you trying to do something classy for a change?" Deeks grinned, referring to the fact that last year they had just gone to a bar.
Sam's glare turned lethal before suddenly he smiled sweetly.
"But Deeks, how can any event be classy if you are going to be there?"
"You know, he has got a point there Deeks." G felt he had to pitch in at least with one comment in their favourite activity of pulling Deeks' leg.
Deeks didn't seem to feel too bothered by it though.
"Oh I can be classy." To prove his point, he turned to Sam again and scrunched up his nose as if he had smelt something terrible.
"Please, pray tell me, sir Hannah. Why o why are we graced with this immense gift of generosity?"
"Shut it Deeks. My wife is organising the event-"
"Oh! You are so whipped!" He interrupted Sam with ceremoniously clacking his tongue to imitate the sound of a whip.
Silence followed while they all stared at Deeks, who looked around at the others before settling on Sam.
"You are thinking about different ways to kill me, aren't you?" He asked suddenly.
Another second of silence ensued before the former Navy SEAL nodded slowly.
"Oh.. Hey! Steph- ah no Valerie! Just the person I was looking for!" He quickly got up and followed the woman that had walked past their desks with some files who clearly did not know Deeks.
They all snickered before turning back to Sam.
"So, an invitation for this opening where we get to see some special art, get free drinks and can have fun? I'd love to." Nell was the first to say something and she smiled brightly at Sam. For a second, he seemed taken back before also smiling slightly and handing her the first invitation.
"It's black tie and everything, quite classy according to what I have heard, but I guess it might get interesting."
He gave the next invitation to Eric, who accepted it with a thank you, and handed out another two to Kensi and G. He was holding one last invitation, the last one for Deeks, and for a second he looked at it as if he was considering just taking it through the paper shredder before sighing in defeat and putting it down on the desk next to him.
G grinned and picked up his envelope to put it in his bag.
"Cheer up Sam, it will be fun."
Next to him, Kensi had opened hers and was reading through the invitation quickly to know the details.
In the meantime, Deeks returned. He looked eerily at Sam while passing him but nothing happened so he sat down in his chair and picked up his own invitation.
"You hear that Deeks? It's black tie. They must have got a dictionary around here somewhere so you can look up what that means."
Their liaison looked up before grinning slightly.
"Do not worry my friend. All will be fine. So, Kensi, how about we go together? You could wear one of those really hot dresses you wear while undercover."
Sam threw his hands up in despair before sitting down again in his chair to finish his work while Eric and Nell turned to go back upstairs.
Kensi just stared at Deeks before shaking her head.
"Not in a million years Deeks."
~~~|G|O|S|~~~
Nell was slowly walking back up the stairs, opening the envelope to have a look at the invitation. She fished out the card that was decorated with a simple, golden square in which black words with curly ends had been typed.
Very classy indeed.
The event would be the next week, starting at 8 p.m. and indeed with the black tie dress code. She would have to go and do some shopping to find something fitting for her to wear that evening.
For a second, she glanced back at the desks where Kensi and Deeks were still bantering with Deeks trying to convince Kensi that they absolutely had to go together to the party.
Amused, she shook her head, before noticing a pair of blues eyes that were strained on her.
Her eyes darted to the senior agent, sitting at his desk with a file open in front of him. He wasn't paying any attention to it though, looking at her instead.
For a few moments, neither of them moved and Nell felt heat go up to her cheeks. Then, he nodded slightly before rolling his eyes at the two partners whose discussion was only getting louder and louder.
She grinned and shrugged slightly, meaning it was who they were and what they always did.
He nodded again, smiled one last time and then looked back down to his file.
Nell turned away and quickly climbed the last few steps to go up to the command centre. She was a 100 per cent sure that she was blushing furiously and fled to the bluish room.
Nobody would really notice it there.
Eric had already returned and was once again working on what he had been doing.
"A party, who would have thought.." She heard Eric mumble to himself.
She laughed and punched him slightly in the shoulder.
"You know, flip flops won't be the perfect attire for a black tie event, don't you think?"
~~~|G|O|S|~~~
G finished up working on his files and got up to go and give it to Hetty. She was still sitting at her desk, working on her own things.
"Ah, thank you mister Callen." She took the files from him before picking up another file that was sitting on her desk.
"Could you go up and give this to Eric? He is going to need some of the information that is in here."
G nodded and took the file from her.
"Hetty, are you not going to come to the event?" He asked her bluntly.
She looked up again before bringing up a hand to correct the position of the pair of glasses she was wearing.
"Well, mister Callen. I have the highest expectations and I don't doubt this event will be wonderful, but I happen to already have plans for that night."
She smiled the way she always did, as if she knew much more than all the people around her combined.
Which was, actually, quite true.
"And I have really been looking forward to play some poker with the governor again. I think he should get a chance to at least try and get his money back."
She picked up her pen from the desk.
"The file, mister Callen?"
"Yes, of course. Have a good evening Hetty."
"You too mister Callen, you too."
He nodded and crossed the floor to the stairs, climbing them to get to the command centre. The doors slid open when he neared them and he opened his mouth to announce his presence but was stopped when he heard Eric talk.
"You know, we could go together."
An unsettling feeling came over him.
Both of them were sitting at their desks, backs to the doors and to him.
"Where could we go together?" Nell asked, not looking up from what she was doing.
"To Sam's thing. I mean, we are both going, so why not go together?"
G scuffed at the idea, only realising one second too late that that sound had made his present clear to the two.
They simultaneously looked up from their screens, one looking just a bit more confused than the other.
"I have some files for you Eric." He said before walking to the tech and handing him the files, if he wasn't actually pushing them in his hands.
"Have a good evening." He didn't even look at Nell, he just left the room again.
This feeling was so very new. He felt rattled and felt like his heart was a lump in his throat. The image of Nell going somewhere with Eric, all dressed up and ready to have some fun, seemed to be quite an unnerving image to him.
He didn't want her to stand closely next to him all evening long, dancing and talking and enjoying themselves.
God no.
~~~|G|O|S|~~~
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