Katy managed to sleep through the night and woke refreshed and ready to tackle her first official day as an agent in the office. She was worried at how Kensi was going to take the news, but suspected it would only make them better friends. Katy didn't notice the doors were open until she got out of bed wearing only a tank top and panties. Quickly, she grabbed the pajama bottoms she'd taken off in the middle of the night when she'd gotten hot. Fortunately, she heard the shower running, so Callen wasn't privy to her Hello Kitty printed panties.
Callie was lying on the back of the couch and meowed as she walked past. Katy smelled coffee and that was the only think on her mind. When she turned around with the cup to her lips to take a drink and saw Callen standing there, she spilt the hot coffee down the front of her and on the floor. In a second, the cup was on the counter and Katy had the roll of paper towels in her hand. Callen walked over and told her he'd clean it up if she wanted to shower. She thanked him and walked to the bedroom to grab her clothes.
Fifteen minutes, she walked out of the bathroom wearing a pair of black jeans and grey shirt. Her hair was wet, but had been combed through. Callen watched as she went into the bedroom and grabbed a pair of socks and her boots. Similar to the style of boot Kensi wore, but scuffed and scratched from age. She sat on the couch, put them on and laced them up.
"Do you have a holster for your pistol?" Callen asked setting another cup of coffee on the coffee table for her.
"I do, a back holster and hip holster." She told him with a smile. "Thank you for the coffee."
"Which do you prefer?" he asked, trying to make small talk.
"I like the back holster, it's easier to conceal." She said.
"Don't forget your badge." He reminded her.
"Oh, thank you. I'm not used to carrying it or my weapon." She said running back into the bedroom to the lock box. Katy punched the code into the lockbox and pulled her pistol, holster, credentials and badge out. While she walked back into the living room, she hooked her badge to her belt, put her credentials in her back pocket and attached the holster to the back of her jeans before securing her weapon in it.
"Are you bringing anything into work with you?" he asked.
"I lost my lap top in the fire." She said thinking of what else she might possibly need.
"Camera?" he asked pointing to the bag on the counter.
"Do you think we'll need it? Kensi said she issued you guy's cameras." She asked.
Callen shrugged. "It was a suggestion. I wish I'd remembered you're lap top was in the fire, we could've gotten you one when we were picking up you camera."
Katy shook her head. "Damn, I was so excited about the camera, I didn't think about much else."
"Are you ready?" he asked turning off the light in the kitchen.
Katy picked up the coffee and gulped it down as she walked into the kitchen, "Yeah, I'm ready."
Kensi walked in as Sam was taking his laptop out of his bag. "Hey Kens, how was your weekend at your Mom's?" He asked.
"It was really nice. She cooked some of the stuff I haven't had since I was a kid. I got to relax, unwind, we did a little shopping. How was yours?" she asked smiled, feeling refreshed.
"It wasn't bad, nice actually." Sam said smiling thoughtfully.
"Did Callen and Katy make it down to your house Saturday?" She asked sitting down to her desk.
"They did and Katy even took some family portraits for us. She's a really good photographer. Apparently when they were on their way down, they stopped a couple places so Katy could take some pictures." He said and leaned in, almost whispering. "She took some pictures of Callen when, he didn't even know."
Kensi smiled. "Ah, good pictures?"
Sam nodded and smiled. "There were two that were just fantastic. They'd stopped at the beach somewhere, they didn't say where. Callen was sitting alone on the beach with his arms on his knees looking out at the water. I'm telling you, it looked like a magazine advertisement. This other one, he was sitting on a log toe to toe with a bird, staring it down."
"Really? Wow. She wants to drive up the coast next weekend to take pictures. I told her I'd go with her. I'm really looking forward to it. Maybe I can get into photography." She said.
"Ok, Kensi." Sam laughed until she threw a pen at him, hitting him in the chest.
Granger walked into the bullpen and looked around. "Where's Special Agent Levin?"
Sam stopped in his tracks; Kensi looked at him and back to Granger. "Who?"
"Special Agent Levin, Katy, the woman who was staying with you? Ring any bells?" Granger said obviously frustrated.
"Um." Kensi said giving him an odd look. "I was with my Mom this weekend; I drove from her house this morning. I assume Katy's with Callen."
Granger sighed and stomped off to Hetty's desk.
"What did he mean by Special Agent Levin?" She asked Sam with a knowing smile. "I knew it! I had a feeling she was one of us."
Sam smiled. "I found out Saturday morning when Callen told me. Wait till you see her, you're going to be surprised."
"Why? What happened?" Kensi asked worried.
"Nothing, she's fine. You'll see." She said.
Granger walked up to Hetty's desk, "Where's Special Agent Levin, I thought you said she was staying with Kensi. Kensi just told me she was at her Mom's all weekend. Who was with Katy?"
"Good morning to you too, Owen." Hetty said after sipping her tea. "She and Mr. Callen should be here momentarily."
"Was he with her all weekend?" Granger asked.
"Yes Owen, he was. I checked on them yesterday evening and they were fine." Hetty told him annoyed.
"Do you really think it's wise letting them be alone together? I think they'd be like oil and vinegar, too much alike to get along." He asked.
"They were fine. I think they'll be good for each other." She added. "They have a very good idea of what the other went through growing up; more so than anyone else in this office."
"True. I just think they could get a little too close." He said.
Hetty ignored him.
Katy had her bag over her shoulder as they walked into the office. She was nervous, wondering how Kensi would react to the news that she was one of them. Callen walked by her side and smiled at her.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"Yeah, I think so. I hope she takes it well." She said as they walked to the bullpen.
"Oh my gosh, you're blonde?" Kensi said with her hands over her mouth. "I love it."
"Thank you. How was your weekend?" She asked.
"It was nice, how was yours?" Kensi asked.
"Callen and I had a nice weekend. We went to Sam and Michelle's. I took some pictures." She said.
"So, G no black eye, I take it you were a good boy?" Sam said with a grin.
Callen glared at him and looked over at Katy.
"Hey Kensi, I have something I need to tell you." Katy said nervously.
"I already know, Special Agent Levin." Kensi smiled.
"What, how did you find out?" she asked, then turned to Sam. "Did you tell her?"
"No, Granger was looking for you." Kensi told her.
Katy's expression soured. "Crap, just who I didn't want to deal with today."
"Ugh, I know the feeling. He knows how to spoil a good mood, doesn't he?" Kensi laughed.
"Hey, I was wondering how long you've got left on your lease. Hetty mentioned that you're not allowed to have pets. The last thing I want is for you to get evicted because of Callie and I." she said.
"My lease ended, I'm month-to-month now, why?" Kensi asked.
"Well, since I'm assigned to this office and Vitaliy torched my apartment, I was wondering if you wanted to look for a two bedroom apartment and split the rent with me." Katy asked hopeful.
"Really, you're not tired of my mess?" Kensi asked excitedly.
"Of course not, I've had fun with you." Katy assured her.
"Sure, we can go through the ads online during lunch to see what we can find." Kensi suggested.
"Very good and if we have to, we can postpone the road trip up the coast for another weekend so we can look for something." Katy smiled.
Callen and Sam stood talking over at the kitchenette while they got coffee. "So how did the rest of the weekend go?" Sam asked Callen.
Callen smiled. "It was nice. We had a good time, worked some things out."
"I'm sure you did work some things out." Sam smiled.
"Not like that." Callen said.
"I know, I'm just joking with you. So you two are okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, we're good." Callen said looking over at Katy.
"Ms. Levin, Mr. Callen a word if you please?" Hetty called. Callen and Katy looked at each other and walked over to her desk. Granger was still sitting with her. "Are you prepared for your visit with Arkady?"
"Yes, we're all set." Callen told her.
"Very good; Mr. Callen I can't seem to find the extra set of keys for the Mercedes. Do you by chance have them?"
"I do, they're in my desk." He said.
"Give them to Ms. Levin; she will be driving it until we can acquire another vehicle for her." Hetty said.
"I want the Jag." Katy joked.
"No, that's mine." Callen told her.
Hetty and Granger just watched them. "Are you finished?"
Katy laughed, "Yes, sorry."
"Go see Arkady and come back." Hetty said trying to keep a straight face.
"You're a brat." Katy told him as they walked away. "Give me the keys to my car please."
"Damn, you're impatient." Callen laughed as he walked to his desk and opened the drawer. He handed her the keys.
"Thank you." She said grinning from ear-to-ear.
They arrived at Arkady's just before nine. He was sitting on the terrace eating breakfast when they walked out of the house to talk with him.
"Callen, my friend. What can I do for you?" Arkady said. "I see you have new partner, where's Sam?"
"Arkady, I think you already know my companion, Special Agent Katy Levin." Callen said looking at Katy.
She took off her sunglasses. "Good morning Mr. Kolchek."
"Katya?" he said looking around. "You shouldn't be here. Vitaliy offers over a million dollars for your head."
"I'm fully aware of that. We're hoping you can tell us about Vitaliy's business since my departure? Have you two played poker lately?" she asked.
"Wait, you are agent like Callen?" he asked confused.
"Yes, I am." She said showing him her credentials.
"Why? Why did you allow him to treat you as he did?" Arkady asked.
"Mr. Kolchek, please. I know for a fact that Vitaliy had spoken to Isakk Sidorov with regards to the stolen nuclear bombs that he's selling. We need to know if they've met again or if you know where Sidorov is."
"I'm sorry," he said still shocked that she was a federal agent. "Since you left, Vitaliy hasn't done anymore than look for you. As for Sidorov, he's still here trying to sell his bombs. To my knowledge, I've not heard of any deals."
"Will you call me if you hear anything, please?" Callen asked.
"Of course. Katya, I will not tell Vitaliy I've seen you." Arkady said.
"Thank you." She said smiling.
Callen's phone rang, it was Hetty. "We need the two of you back at Ops now."
"We have to go. Arkady as always, thank you." Callen told him shaking his hand.
"What happened?" Katy asked on the way out to the car.
"I don't know, Hetty just said we need to get to Ops now." He told her.
They met the rest of the team, in the bullpen before heading up to Ops. Unaccustomed to how they did things in the office, she just stood there watching and waiting. Hetty and Granger walked in and nodded to Nell to begin.
"Alright Katy, Vitaliy hasn't found the wire taps you installed on the phone lines yet. Overnight, he called David McCormick to see if he's heard from you yet. This is the call." She said as they played the recorded conversation.
They all stood listening to the two men go back and forth. When the recording was over, Katy wrapped her arms around herself and shuttered, remembering her dream. "Are you okay?" Callen asked.
She nodded and continued to listen to the briefing. "We know from Vitaliy's history that he's probably very serious about his threat to David McCormick. I think maybe we need to arrange a meeting with McCormick, would you be comfortable going and talking to him if the team was there with you to offer you protection?" Hetty asked.
"Yes, without a doubt." Katy smiled. "How are we going to do this?"
"Either Ms. Blye or Mr. Callen can accompany you to the meeting. Mr. Hanna, Detective Deeks and whoever doesn't go with you will provide back up in the event something happens." Hetty told her.
Katy looked from Kensi to Callen. "Who wants to go in with me?"
"I think Kensi should go with you. It won't look as threatening as it would if I showed up with you." Callen said.
Katy and Kensi looked at each other. "Alright." Katy agreed.
A location was agreed upon and Katy placed the call on one of the untraceable numbers in Ops. McCormick was very happy to hear from her and played it off that he was concerned about her well-being. Katy calmly told him that they needed to meet and told him where. He agreed and hung up. Just as Katy thought he would, he immediately called Vitaliy with the meeting location and time.
Katy and Kensi were in the Armory getting ready when Callen walked in. "Are you going to be able to run if you have too, Katy?" he asked.
"Yes, I'll be fine." She told him, and then looked to Kensi. "How many magazines are you bringing?"
"Three, one in my pistol and two extras." She told Katy.
Katy nodded. "Don't forget your vest." She said, Kensi smiled.
"Sam, Deeks and I are going to be here, here and here." Callen said pointing to the locations on the map Nell printed of the park they were meeting at. "You know Vitaliy's going to be there, so as soon as you feel like something's going to happen, get out of there. Kens, since Katy's gone blonde, Vitaliy's going to think you're her, so be careful."
"Callen, we'll be fine. This isn't our first rodeo; it's just the first one together. Trust us. We've got it all covered." Katy told him, trying to calm his nerves.
"I'm sorry, I just." He stopped himself. "Just be careful, please both of you."
Callen walked out of the Armory. "Is he always like that?" Katy asked.
Kensi shook her head. "It's you. So, tell me how was your weekend alone with him? Sparks fly?"
Katy thought about it and said. "It was nice; we talked a lot about what we went through growing up. You should see the pictures I took of him."
"Sam mentioned them; he said they were really good." Kensi said.
"They are, some of the best pictures I've taken. He's an easy subject when he doesn't know you're doing it." She laughed.
"So do you think the two of you will hang out more?" Kensi asked.
Katy's smile turned to a frown. "I doubt it."
Kensi raised an eyebrow at her. "Really, you too get along well, don't you?"
"We do, but you know Hetty's rules. Besides, the interest isn't there on his part." Katy added.
"But it's there for you?" Kensi asked in a hushed tone.
Katy smiled and turned a bright shade of red. "Maybe."
Kensi beamed.
With vest on, weapons and extra magazines concealed, and ear wigs in their ears, Kensi and Katy headed to the park. Katy was worried, but nowhere near as worried as Callen. It felt odd to admit out load that she was interested in Callen. She knew Kensi wouldn't say anything. When they arrived at the park, Katy instinctively looked around for the other three. Once she'd spotted them, she scanned the park for signs of Vitaliy and Igor. If given the chance, she'd take great delight in using Igor for target practice. As many times as he'd beaten her and raped her behind Vitaliy's back, she felt it was owed to her.
Katy and Kensi walked to a group of picnic tables and started looking around for David McCormick. Katy was scanning the horizon and tree line for a possible sniper. Kensi saw him approaching from the east. Katy turned to look at him while Kensi watched behind them. As he approached, he looked at her oddly.
"I thought you were coming alone." He said as he stopped a few feet from them.
"You honestly think I trust you, of course I brought a friend." Katy snapped.
Kensi turned around and smiled at him before continuing her scan of the area.
"You're doing fine, Katy." Callen said into the com.
Katy smiled and brushed her hair behind her ear. Callen smiled. "Why have you been trying to get in touch with me? I gave you my resignation; I have none of the paper's property."
"You know why I've been trying to get hold of you. Vitaliy thinks you ran off with some sensitive information." He told her, looking nervously around.
Katy tapped her leg three times, but Callen didn't understand what she meant by it. "Katy, do you think he's there?" Callen asked. She tapped again three times.
"Alright, keep your eyes open." Callen announced to Kensi, Deeks and Sam.
"What exactly does Vitaliy think I got away with? I was lucky enough to get away with my life, let-a-lone any information of value." Katy told him.
"Well, according to the mass email he sent out, he's offering over a million dollars to the person who can return you to him." He said.
With that, Katy was on edge. "So what are you going to take me to him?"
"No, actually." He said looking at his watch. "He should be here anytime now."
Katy looked around the park and didn't see him. "You're lying; we all know how punctual he is. If he was going to be here, he would've been here long before I got here."
"How do you know he isn't here somewhere?" David asked.
"Nell, have we got the cameras in the park yet?" Callen asked.
"Yes and there's no sign of Vitaliy or Igor." She said. "As soon as we see something, we'll let you know."
Callen watched the three standing almost fifty yards from him and then scanned the area around him. Sam was fifty yards to his right and Deeks was the same distance to his left. All three were scanning the park.
"Callen, a black Land Rover just pulled in to the east parking lot with three men in it." Nell said.
Sam looked towards the parking lot since he was the one with the clear view, as the three men got out of the SUV; he recognized two of them immediately and nodded to Callen.
"Katy, Kensi they're here. They're going to be coming up from behind McCormick." Callen told them.
Kensi turned to face the direction and saw them approaching. She saw Katy stiffen as she made eye contact with Vitaliy, but after a deep breath, she relaxed. Igor followed close behind Vitaliy with the third man at his side.
"Who's that with them?" Katy asked McCormick.
He turned around and looked, "I don't know, I've never seen him before."
Katy looked over at Callen and then at Kensi. "Nell, try to get an ID on the third guy, neither Katy nor McCormick recognize him." Callen said.
"Working on it, but we can't get a good shot of his face, he keeps looking down or away from the cameras." She told him.
The closer the men got to Katy and Kensi, the more nervous Callen got. He knew Hetty and Granger were watching from Ops and tried to stifle his need to protect Katy. Katy looked at him again, then over at Sam and Deeks. She didn't look particularly nervous, but he could tell she was.
Vitaliy stopped Igor and the other man ten feet away from Kensi, Katy and McCormick, proceeding without his protection. "Katya my dear, you look good as blonde." He smiled.
"Vitaliy." Was all she said.
"Your friend is equally as beautiful, did you being me a friend to play with?" Vitaliy asked.
"No, and I'm not leaving with you. I don't know what you think I have, but I have absolutely nothing. Call off the wolves." Katy told him.
"You're not getting away that easily, you're mine. You belong to me." Vitaliy spat.
"I don't belong to anyone." She laughed.
"Of course, you're acting this way because of your friend. I'm sure she'd like to know how you beg for me to do things to you." Vitaliy smiled.
"No, I beg for you to stop." She said and looked at her watch. "Well, I've got other places to be are we done here?"
"Hardly." Vitaliy said and grabbed for her arm.
"Get your god damned hands off of me." Katy told him through gritted teeth.
"You're not leaving." Vitaliy told her.
"Get your hands off of her." Kensi said.
Vitaliy laughed at her. "Your girlfriend is funny, Katya. Think she's jealous?"
Katy looked behind Vitaliy and saw Igor reaching for something and was ready to pull her weapon.
"Vitaliy, there's too many bystanders for this. We'll get her later. At least we know she's alive she won't be hard to find again." Igor called.
Vitaliy let go and turned to walk away. Katy watched as he pulled a gun and shot David McCormick in broad daylight.
"Katy get down." Callen said through the com.
He watched as both Katy and Kensi pulled their weapons. Within seconds, Vitaliy, Igor and the third man were firing at them and the women were firing back. Katy and Kensi took cover behind the ends of the concrete picnic tables. Shards of concrete flew everywhere. Katy shot and hit Igor in the leg, bringing him down. The other man and Vitaliy were able to get into the SUV and pull out of the parking lot with Sam, Deeks and Callen firing after them.
Kensi made sure McCormick was alright and called Eric for a two ambulances. Katy ran to Igor and rolled him onto his back. As she stood over him, she fought the urge to beat him into a pulp. She cleared his of his weapon and pointed her pistol at him, willing him to move. Callen ran to her side and checked him for more weapons. He briefly looked at her and smiled.
"Good work everyone," Hetty said over the com.
The ambulances arrived and took Igor and McCormick to the hospital. Callen called Hetty to let them know that he was headed to the hospital to talk to both of them. She suggested taking Katy with him. She was talking to the others when he rejoined them.
"Katy, Hetty wants you and I to go to the hospital to question McCormick and Igor." He said.
"Kensi, can you ride back with Sam or Marty?" Katy asked.
"Sure, who wants me?" She asked with her arms open.
"I'll take you Fern." Marty said and the two walked off.
"Have fun." Sam said with a smile. "You want me to tag along?"
"No, we should be okay." Callen told him.
"Alright, good luck. Hope they talk." He said as he walked out to the Challenger. He didn't mind leaving Callen to Katy. He saw the chemistry between them when they were at his house over the weekend. He knew it was a matter of time.
"Do you want me to drive?" Callen asked.
"Sure," she smiled. "Driver, to the hospital."
He led her to the Mercedes and let her in before he headed to the driver's side. He wasn't sure of Hetty was still listening in Ops, so he didn't say much. "You did well out there."
"Thank you. I tried to tell you I was capable of handling it." She smiled.
"You did, but you have to understand, I've never seen your work. I didn't know exactly how capable you truly were." He said trying.
"I know, don't worry about it. You're forgiven this time." She smiled. It felt so good to put a bullet in Igor, even if it was just his knee.
"How'd it feel shooting Igor after everything he's done to you?" He asked knowing the answer.
"It was pretty freakin' awesome." She smiled. "Since we don't know if Hetty and Granger are listening, I'll elaborate more a little later."
Callen looked at her and smiled. "I look forward to that."
That smile of his was going to be her undoing. Seeing him in his stance while shooting at Vitaliy as he pulled away flashed through mind. God he looked so sexy with his gun drawn. AHHH! She screamed to herself. She took the earwig out of her ear and put it in her boot.
"Did you really just put your earwig in your boot?" Callen laughed.
"Yes, I did. Why?" She asked.
"You can break it that way." He said watching her and the road.
"I've been doing it for years and I haven't broken one yet. Hey do you mind keeping your eyes on the road and not crashing my car before I get to take her out to have fun with her?" she said watching him swerve in and out of traffic on the freeway.
"I used to drive this thing, you're going to love the way it handles." He said with an evil grin.
"Can I find out for myself, please?" she laughed.
Within minutes, they were at the hospital, walking through the emergency room to the reception desk. They showed their credentials and told the nurse who they needed to speak to. The older women with salt and pepper hear walked away and returned a few moments later informing them that only one ambulance came in, carrying David McCormick. Callen asked about the second, but the nurse told him that they were only expecting one patient.
Katy immediately walked away and called Nell. "Nell, I need you and Eric to go back through the traffic cams. Only one of the ambulances made it to the hospital."
"Seriously?" Nell asked.
"Yeah, I have a sneaking suspicion that Vitaliy either commandeered the other ambulance, took him to a different hospital or it wasn't a real ambulance." Katy said as Callen walked up to her. She could tell he was angry and smiled at him.
"Alright, I'll check. Hetty said just come back to the office." Nell told her.
"Ok, we're on our way back." She told Nell.
"Are they going back through the traffic cams?" Callen asked.
"Yes they are. Hetty said don't worry about McCormick, just head back into the office." She said as they walked towards the exit.
"Damn it. I should've talked to the EMT more, made sure where they were taking him." He said.
"Did you hear any kind of accent when you talked to them?" Katy asked.
"No, they both sounded local." He said. "Hungry?"
"Yeah, where are you thinking?" She asked. "Should we bring something back for everyone else?"
"No, they probably got something on their way back. I know of a couple really good lunch trucks. Do you like fish tacos?" He said looking at his watch, it was after two.
"I love fish tacos." She smiled as she stopped at the passenger door waiting for him to unlock the car doors.
"Alright, fish tacos it is." He said unlocking the doors and getting in.
They sat on the hood of the Mercedes as they ate and talked about whatever came to mind. Callen love the twinkle in her eyes as she described how good it felt to shoot Igor. Some of the passersby gave them odd looks, but he didn't care. He remembered what it was like shooting Jeanvier, even if it was staged. They best feeling was handing him over to Nassim Vassiri. For a moment, he thought about Jeanvier and whatever happened to him. As quickly as the thought entered his mind, it was gone again. Katy noticed his distraction and asked if he was okay. He told her he was and they finished their lunches.
On the drive back to the office, Callen asked what she had planned for the evening. He was pleased to hear she had none and asked if she wanted to get a drink to celebrate her first operation with the team. Katy was concerned that it would be a one-on-one occasion, but he reassured her that everyone would be joining them. After thinking about it for a while, she reluctantly agreed. As much as she enjoyed spending time with him and in fact wanted to spend more time alone with him for reasons other than work, she knew it was inappropriate.
As soon as they walked into the door at the mission, they walked up to Ops. "Nell, anything on the ambulance carrying Igor?" Katy asked.
"We watched Igor being loaded into the ambulance, but quickly lost them once they got on the freeway." Nell said.
"Damn, what about other hospitals? Was he taken to a different hospital?" Callen asked.
"No, none of the other hospitals have anyone matching his description or injury being brought in by ambulance or private transportation. Katy, did Vitaliy have a private physician on payroll?" Nell said.
"Not that I ever saw, can you pull up the payroll records?" Katy asked standing at the screen.
Nell tapped a few times on the tablet in her hands and the records appeared on the screen. While Katy went through the list of names on Vitaliy's payroll with Eric, Callen asked Nell about the identity of the third man. She told them that they never really got a good enough picture of him to run through the facial recognition software, but they did run what they had and got several hits; none of which were Russian or a known associate of Kirillovsky's. After an hour of going through the names on Vitaliy's payroll, they came up empty handed. Both Katy and Callen were frustrated and headed down to talk to Hetty.
They looked mentally exhausted as they approached her desk and knew they had no leads on the whereabouts of Igor or the identity of the third man at the meeting. She informed them that she'd spoken to the hospital and that David McCormick's injuries were not life threatening. Hetty suggested the two of them and Sam head over to the hospital tomorrow to talk to him. They agreed and were off to find Sam. He was sitting at his desk talking with Kensi and Deeks. They all smiled at them as they walked into the bullpen. Callen told Katy to sit as his desk while he pulled a chair over from another part of the office.
The five talked about what Callen and Katy didn't learn which only frustrated them even more. Finally Callen asked about everyone going out to celebrate Katy's first op with them. They all agreed that a little fun and libation was just what they needed. Sam called Michelle and asked if the neighbor's could watch the kids so she could join them. Even though it was a Monday, the neighbors agreed. By four, Hetty could tell her crew was weary and in need of the rest of the day off. Once Michelle arrived, she released them for the evening. Katy ran up to Ops to invite Nell and Eric.
When she walked in, Eric was spinning in his chair and stopped suddenly when the doors slid open. To his relief, it was only Katy. He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled.
"So, how do you like working with us?" He asked.
"I actually like working in the office better than what I've done for the last two years. You do know when I was talking that first day about the best hackers in the world, I was referring to the two of you, right?" she said leaning against the table.
"I didn't until Nell told me." Eric smiled. "Thank you for the compliment. It's nice to see that out work is appreciated."
"We couldn't do what we do if it weren't for what you guys do." Callen said as he walked in and joined the conversation. "So are you guys going out with us for drinks and dinner?"
"I actually hadn't gotten to that yet." Katy laughed.
"Oh, sorry." He said mildly embarrassed. "We're celebrating Katy's first op with the team, you guys in?"
"We get to go hang out with the cool kids?" Eric said to Nell sarcastically.
"I don't know about him, but I'm game." Nell said smiling. "I like this, I know the team is oddly numbered now, but Katy makes a great addition. I hope you get to stay with us."
Katy smiled. "Well, I know I'm assigned to the office, but I need to be formally released back to full duty before I can be either place with the team or assigned a partner."
"I can't believe Hetty and Granger let you go in the field with your foot." Eric said.
"I went to boot camp with a broken hip and fractured ribs. Hetty knows it's futile to try to tell me not to do something." She laughed.
"You went to Marine Corps boot camp with a broken hip?" Nell asked.
"Yes, I did. I was tough, but I made it through on the first try." Katy said proudly.
"You're insane." Callen said smiling.
The entire group carpooled over to the nearest restaurant. Katy and Kensi figured they'd leave the Mercedes at the office and go in her Cadillac. Callen road over with Deeks, Nell and Eric rode together and Sam and Michelle both took their cars. Since the group was so large, they were offered a room at the back of the restaurant where they could be as loud and obnoxious as they wanted. It was fun; they ordered a round of drinks before they even looked at the menu and ordered a second before they ordered any food.
Callen and Katy were sitting across the table from each other. Occasionally they'd smiled at one another when there was a lull in the laughter or conversation, but for the most part, they socialized with everyone. No one was overly intoxicated and felt they all could drive themselves home. As the hours passed, the group got smaller and smaller. Since Sam and Michelle had to drive back down to San Diego, they were the first to leave. Nell and Eric after that, soon it was just Kensi, Deeks, Katy and Callen. They talked before they were ushered out of the restaurant by the staff.
Kensi and Deeks walked off in a direction towards his car to talk. Callen and Katy walked over towards Kensi's Cadillac. They stopped on the passenger side.
"You did really good face to face with Vitaliy." He told her.
"Thank you, honestly, I was scared to hell. All I could think of was the last time he." She stopped herself refusing to say the words.
"You going to be okay tonight being that you saw Vitaliy today?" he asked.
"I don't know. I hope so. I honestly doubt Kensi will do for me what you did." She smiled.
"If you need to talk tonight, you can call me." He said.
"One problem, I don't have your number." She laughed.
"That would be helpful, wouldn't it?" He laughed.
Katy took out her phone and waited for him to give her his number. She punched the numbers into her phone and saved it to her contacts. "I won't call if it's too late." She told him.
"No, it doesn't matter what time. If you need to talk call me and if you need me to come over, I'll come over." He told her.
"Thank you." She smiled. "So, I wonder what Kensi and Marty are doing."
"I don't know, I don't think there's anything going on there, but you never know." He laughed.
"Should we go look for them?" Katy asked.
"Probably wouldn't be a bad idea, we do have to work in the morning." He said.
They walked over to Deeks' car and found them leaning against it talking. "We should probably call it a night." Katy told Kensi.
"Yeah, you're probably right." Kensi said.
"Callen, you want me to drop you off at the office to pick up your car?" Deeks asked.
"Yeah, if you don't mind." He said and looked at Katy. "Do you want me to come over before I go home?"
"No, I'll call you if need be." She smiled and walked over to Kensi's car with her. She gave Callen one last look before getting into the Cadillac with Kensi.
"So what was that all about?" Kensi asked.
"I had a couple really bad nightmares over the weekend and Callen's worried that I would have another tonight because I saw Vitaliy." She explained.
"Ok. If he wants to come over, I don't have a problem with it." Kensi smiled.
"No, hopefully, I will be okay. I told him I'd call him if I needed to talk." She said.
When they got home, Callie was impatiently waiting, she made it known that she was hungry and didn't like to be kept waiting. Katy fed her before she changed and lay on the couch. Even though she listened to her IPod, she was afraid to fall asleep. The combination of the dream from the weekend and the encounter with Vitaliy this afternoon had her staring at the ceiling and panicking when she heard odd noises. She finally dozed off after one o'clock in the morning. Like she feared, she dreamt of Vitaliy. Katy sat straight up, shaking with fear and sweat beading on her forehead.
She picked up her phone and debated on whether or not to call him. Instead, she opted to text him. Callen responded immediately, asking if she was alright. When she told him about her nightmare, he offered to come over to sit with her. She truly wanted him there, but knew he needed to sleep.
"Are you absolutely sure you don't want me to come over. I don't mind." His text said.
"I really want you here, but I don't know how Kensi will like waking up to you here." She said back.
"I'm on my way." He responded.
Katy smiled and paced by the door until she saw him walking up. She opened it and launched herself at him as soon as he walked in. Callen held her tight, before walking her over to the couch.
Kensi got up fifteen minutes before her alarm and walked into the living room before she got into the shower. She honestly wasn't surprised to find Callen curled up behind Katy on the couch. Kensi smiled at the two and turned back to her room to grab her clothes. Katy woke as soon as she heard the shower come on and rubbed Callen's arm until he woke up.
"Kensi's in the shower." Katy told him.
"Okay. Did you want to shower next?" he asked.
"Sure, I'll make it quick so there's still some hot water for you. Should I make a pot of coffee?" she asked.
"I can do it." He said with his face buried in her neck.
Katy felt his warm breath against her skin. She shivered.
Callen stretched as he sat up. Katy rolled onto her back and smiled up at him. "Thank you for coming over."
"Not a problem. I actually seem to sleep better when I'm with you then when I'm home alone." He smiled.
"Okay." She laughed.
"I'm not kidding. I do." He said and got up to make a pot of coffee.
Kensi came out of the bathroom while Katy and Callen sat on the couch drinking their coffee. "Are you sure you don't mind if I shower first?" Katy asked.
"No, go ahead." He said eyeing Kensi.
Katy grabbed some clothes and walked into the bathroom only after they heard the shower running did they talk.
"Did she have another nightmare?" Kensi asked.
"Yeah, she called me at about three fifteen. I got here by a quarter to four." He told her.
"Do you think she needs to talk to Nate?" She asked.
"I'm sure it wouldn't hurt, but I doubt she would." Callen admitted.
"Would she do it if you went with her?" She asked.
"I don't know she might. I'll talk to Hetty about it." He said.
"How many nights did you stay here with her?" she asked.
"All three. She only had nightmares Saturday and Sunday mornings. Sunday over to Monday she was okay, but we'd talked a lot about stuff Sunday afternoon." He told her.
Kensi looked towards the bathroom. "If this keeps up, I'm beginning to wonder if she wouldn't be better off moving in with you. There isn't much I can do for her."
Callen sighed, "You have a point. If she keeps having the nightmares, I'll talk to her about it."
Katy was showered and dressed within ten minutes. Callen showered and shaved in about the same amount of time. They decided that they'd ride in with Callen and would bring the Mercedes home that night. When they walked into the office, Sam and Deeks looked at them. Katy pulled the extra chair between Kensi and Callen and sat down. Callen got himself and Katy a cup of coffee before he went to find Hetty.
"Good morning Mr. Callen. How was your evening?" She asked when he walked up to her desk.
"I think Katy needs to talk to Nate. She had another nightmare last night." He told her.
Hetty gave him a curious look. "How many nightmares has she had?"
"She had one Saturday morning, Sunday morning and the one last night." Callen said.
"How do you know about the one last night?" Hetty asked.
"She texted me and I went over to Kensi's to be with her." He said smiling faintly.
Hetty smiled. "You spent the night with her?"
"Just a few hours." He said.
Hetty nodded. "I agree she needs to talk to Mr. Getz. Do you think she'll speak to him on her own?"
"I don't, Kensi mentioned that she might if I'm with her." He said.
"Would you be willing to sit in on a session with her and Mr. Getz?" Hetty asked.
"For Katy, yes." He told her straight-faced.
"Alright, I'll speak to Nate about the two of you talking to him after you come back from the hospital." She told him.
Callen smiled, thanked her and walked back to the bullpen. "You two ready to head to the hospital to talk to McCormick?"
"Yeah, sure. Do we want to take the Mercedes since it's a four door? One of you two can drive." Katy offered.
"I'll drive." Callen said and Sam nodded.
It was a short ride to the hospital; Katy sat in the back seat so Sam didn't have to try to contort himself in precarious positions to get in the back. They talked about what to ask McCormick and decided Katy would lead since she knew him the best. They stepped off the elevator in to pandemonium. Alarms were sounding at the nurse's station, nurses were barking orders and doctors ran to one of the rooms from all directions. The three stood back and watched.
"He's still got no pulse." They heard a doctor say.
"How much longer are we going to try to resuscitate him? It's been fifteen minutes." A nurse said.
"There are federal agent coming to talk to him. I'd like to have him alive when they get here." The doctor said.
Katy, Callen and Sam immediately walked to the room and showed their credentials. The doctor looked over his shoulder at them as he tried to bring McCormick back to life. After another fifteen minutes, they called his time of death. The doctor led them into the hall and explained that he was fine one moment and after breakfast was delivered to him, he was coding the next. Katy walked away and called Nell.
"McCormick is dead. Can you guys get into the hospitals security cameras and see if maybe someone paid him a visit? We'll have the hospital pack up his food and sent it to the lab for testing." She said.
"On it, I know you were looking forward to talking to him. Sorry." Nell said sympathetically.
"Yeah, shit happens." Katy said and hung up, walking back over to Callen, Sam and the doctor.
Callen looked at her as she walked back and nodded when she said she'd called Nell. Katy asked the physician if McCormick's breakfast could be sent to the lab to see if it had been tainted. He agreed and immediately got one of the nurse's attention. Callen asked the nurse who delivered the meal to the floor and she said it was the usual worker.
An hour later, after talking with the orderly who delivered the food and the kitchen staff, they walked back out to the car and headed back to the office. Katy sat in the back seat and stewed. Callen could tell she was upset. Sam tried to start a conversation, but she sat silent. Callen and Sam looked at each other and continued talking with the hopes that she'd join in eventually.
By the time they got back to the mission, Katy was fuming and went right into the locker room to change. Callen waited for her outside the door and walked with her into the gym. He tried to talk to her, but she pounded her aggressions out on the punching bag. He watched her for a while, very intrigued. He enjoyed watching her quick, sharp movements. She kicked the bag, screamed and looked at him. Callen saw tears in her eyes.
"Katy?" he asked.
"In the beginning he was my friend. We'd talked for a year before he hired me at the paper. He was my mentor." She said wiping the sweat away with her forearm.
"I'm sorry Katy." He offered.
She shrugged. "I don't even know if I should call his wife and offer my condolences, given the circumstances."
"He was married?" Callen asked as they slowly walked back to the locker room.
"Yeah, if you could call it that. He and his wife have been separated for a few years; she just could handle the long hours he put in at the paper. They still loved each other." Katy told him.
"Do you think it would be worth talking to her about his dealings with Kirillovsky?" Callen asked.
"I doubt she knew anything, but you could send someone out to talk to her. I don't want it to be me who has to tell her what he was doing, though." Katy said.
"I can sent Kensi and Deeks." He said.
Katy nodded and gave him her address and phone number before she disappeared into the locker room to shower.
Callen told Kensi and Deeks to go talk to McCormick's widow and gave them the address, then went up to Ops to have Nell and Eric run a background on the woman and send the information to Kensi and Deeks' phones. By the time he came down the stairs, Katy was coming out of the locker room, her hair wet. Hetty called him over to her desk.
"I spoke to Mr. Getz about you and Katy speaking to him and he agreed that it would be alright. Let Katy know that you'll be with her. He asked that you go see him after lunch." She said.
Callen smiled. "Thank you Hetty, I appreciate it. Kensi mentioned that it might be best if Katy move in with me, would that be a problem?"
Hetty thought for a moment, "Mr. Callen, I don't have a problem with that, but you do need to keep in mind that you both are agents and personal relationships are frowned upon."
"I understand that." He said.
"I've seen the way the two of you look at one another. You two are no different than anyone else in this office and will not make an exception for you. If something other than a professional relationship develops, I will be forced to have Katy transferred to another office." She warned.
Callen nodded and walked away.
"Feeling better?" he asked as he sat down next to her.
"Yeah, Kensi and Deeks went to talk to McCormick's wife?" she asked.
"Yes they did. Listen," he said moving rolling chair so she looked at him. "I told Hetty about your nightmares and we both think you should talk to Nate. He's already said it would be okay if I sat in on the session. He's agreed to see us after lunch, are you okay with that?"
Katy nodded, "If you're going to be there, yes I'll talk to him."
Sam sat at his desk and watched the two talking quietly. He saw the fear on Katy's face and the way it dissipated as Callen talked to her. Yep, it was just a matter of time.
Kensi and Deeks were coming back from talking to McCormick's widow as Katy and Callen were headed up to talk to Nate. The quickly talked in passing, Kensi told Katy that the woman asked that she please call her. Katy nodded and followed Callen up the stairs. She was nervous about talking to Nate and had no idea what to expect when they walked into the office. He was sitting behind his desk and smiled when they walked in.
Nate stood and shook Callen's hand. Katy laughed to herself as the man made Callen look like a child. He was tall and lanky; Katy shook his hand and smiled weakly. He motioned for them to sit on the couch as he pulled a chair over from his desk and sat across from them.
"Thank you both for coming." He smiled.
Katy nodded. "Callen and Hetty felt I should talk to you about the nightmares I've been having."
"Do you want to tell me about them?" Nate asked.
Katy looked at Callen. He nodded and put his hand on hers for a brief moment. "They involve a man beating and raping me. I've been working undercover investigating Vitaliy Kirillovsky. Both he and his head of security have drugged or beaten and raped me. I was also sexually, physically and emotionally abused as a child, in foster care."
Nate sat forward wide-eyed and looked at Callen. "Does she know about your past?"
"Yes, that's why I'm here with her." Callen smiled.
Nate looked from Callen to Katy and smiled. "Good, at least you're talking to someone about it. How are your nightmares?"
Katy looked at Callen, "You never said you had nightmares."
"I haven't had one in a long while." He smiled over at Katy.
"How much time do the two of you spend outside of work?" Nate asked seeing an obvious chemistry between them.
"I'm staying with Kensi, but she was at her Mom's this weekend and Callen came over to stay with me." She told him.
"When did the nightmares start and how frequently do you have them?" Nate asked Katy.
"I've had nightmares for as long as I can remember, but the dreams of Vitaliy I've had for three months now." She told him.
"It's always the same dream?" he asked.
"Not, not always, but it always involves him beating and raping me. They're violent dreams, so real; I can actually feel every time he hits me. Most of the time, I wake up hurting." She said with a pained look on her face.
"Have there been any nights when you haven't had nightmares?" he asked sitting back, taking mental notes.
"Only once," she smiled. "Sunday over to Monday I didn't have a nightmare, I think it was because Callen and I had talked that afternoon. I think last night's nightmare was because I saw and spoke to Vitaliy."
"So after you have the nightmares, do you sleep soundly?"
She smiled shyly, "If Callen's there, I don't have another. If not, the dream always picks up from where I woke-up."
Nate nodded, "So having Callen there helps?"
Katy smiled and nodded.
"Have you given any thought since you don't have a permanent place to stay of staying with Callen for a while?" Nate asked.
Katy's face went slack. "I um, I don't think that would be a good idea. Hetty has rules about fraternization."
"I already spoke to Hetty about it and she agreed that it would be alright as long as out relationship remains strictly professional." Callen assured her.
"I think you need to think about it." Nate told her.
"Kensi and I were planning on getting an apartment together." Katy said.
"I think you will still be able to, but until the nightmares stop, I think you should consider staying with Callen. I'd also like to talk with you once a week, without Callen if you'd do that."
"I will think about staying with him, as for the meeting with you once a week, yes, I will. For the first couple sessions, I'd like to have Callen there is that's alright, just until I'm comfortable." She said.
"That's fine." Nate nodded. "We'll work around your schedules for our sessions; I know your case load can be hectic."
"Thank you." Katy said as she stood and shook his hand.
"Callen, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked.
Katy looked back at Callen, he nodded that it was okay and she left.
"Are you doing better with your sleeping?" Nate asked.
"I actually sleep better when Katy's around, it's weird." He said.
"Can you live with her without becoming involved?" He asked
"I can't promise anything." He said.
"I think you two could be good for one another. See what you can do to get her to move in with you. If need be, I can meet with the both of you after work in a setting that's more comfortable for her." He said.
"Alright." Callen said.
"Are you still resistant to counseling?" Nate asked.
"If it helps Katy continue, I guess I can talk with you too." He admitted.
Nate smiled. "Thank you."
Katy was sitting between the two desks again when Callen came back down. He had a smile on his face. Kensi was trying to talk Katy into going to one of her WOD's classes that night. Finally she agreed. Hetty released them for the night and the girls were off to class. Callen told her that he'd call her later to talk. Katy smiled and agreed as she walked to the Mercedes and left.