Chapter 11:

Callen woke to find Hetty sitting by his bed, watching him "It's good to see you sleeping. How are you feeling, Mr Callen?"

"Hello, Hetty," he said sleepily. "Not bad, considering. Everything hurts but it's better than the alternative,"

"Yes, indeed it is" she agreed. "It's good to have you back, G. I thought I'd lost you this time" she said patting his hand gently, her voice quaking slightly with emotion and her eyes glistening with tears that threatened to overflow.

"I hear it was touch and go, but you can't get rid of me that easily" he joked trying to lighten the mood. He loved the small woman, who had been his saviour and mentor since he became aware of her at the age of 15, but he wasn't comfortable seeing her so vulnerable. He thought of her as a warrior, though tiny in statue, a giant amongst her peers. Now she looked tired, old and a little fragile. He hoped it would pass but he knew the life they lived caught up with them all eventually.

Hetty smiled at the man she had come to think of as a son; the man who melted her heart every time he looked at her with that cheeky, crooked grin, his piercing blue eyes twinkling with mischief. The one she could cheerful murder sometimes because he was so stubborn that he wouldn't let anyone help him, though she had to admit he had begun to trust a select few. However he was now a shadow of that image but she could still see it behind the pain that he tried so hard to mask, to keep her from worrying.

As she shook her head, he looked at her with a quizzical expression "Don't think for a moment I don't know what you're doing, Special Agent Callen" she said in mock seriousness, reverting back to his formal title.

His expression changed to one of innocence, and she had to laugh and was quietly pleased he was still able to joke after all he'd suffered. "What am I going to do with you?" she said shaking her head in mock exasperation.

"What you always do, Hetty. Look after us. You protect and defend us, cajole and rip us new ones when necessary but above all, you're there for us and you make us strong."

She looked at him sideways trying to see if there was a hint of sarcasm but all she saw in his face and eyes was sincerity.

"Pfff!" she muttered embarrassed. "We're a good combination but you hold the team together, which is why you've got to get well so you can come back to work. To do that you must accept help" she insisted. Callen rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Don't you dare pull that with me" she said. "I know you don't like to admit you need help but I mean it – you can't do this on your own."

Callen sighed "I know, Hetty. But a guy can pretend, can't he?" trying it on again.

Hetty shook her head at him and chuckled. "Well, I suppose he can. But just remember we're all here for you. Now get some rest, I'm sure Sam will be back later and the others will want to come in sometime as well." She placed her hand on his face, gently stroking it and bent to kiss him on the forehead. "Sleep tight. I'll come back to see you tomorrow."

"'Bye, Hetty – and thank you."

Later that night, Sam came in to find Callen already awake.

"Hey, G. You good?" asked Sam.

"Yeah. I've slept and the nurses have checked up on me. They're still giving me nourishment intravenously as I'm not up to solids yet."

Callen winced and Sam asked "You OK? Want a pain relief?"

Callen could only nod in response until the pain subsided. "It's here" Callen nodded towards one of the numerous intravenous drips still going into this veins. "I can self-medicate if it gets too bad but I'm trying not to use it. Y'know how it affects me."

Sam nodded in understanding. Callen didn't sleep very well normally but pain medication had a bad effect on him giving him vivid nightmares.

"How's Kamie" asked Callen "She knows I love her, right?"

"She's OK, G. Of course we told her you'd been hurt and was in hospital. We had no idea that because we hadn't taken her to see you that she thought it was her fault and that you didn't want to see her. It was heart-breaking to watch her with you. Gibbs was great. Who'd have thought a grumpy guy who doesn't say much, could get through to a child."

"No, he's great with kids. It's sad that his wife and daughter are both dead because of his job" said Callen sadly.

"I don't know what I'd do if my job put Kamie or Aiden in danger, or Michelle for that matter though she at least knows the risks being a federal agent herself."

The two friends were quiet for a moment, lost in their own thoughts. Callen broke the silence "When you were here earlier you asked about Charlie Connor and why I felt so strongly about his death. I'll try to explain."

Sam looked at this friend and partner, who remained silent gathering his thoughts and wondering where to start. He took a deep breath and looked at Sam, whose face was open, trusting and eager to understand.

"You know bits of my upbringing and career. But there're some things that only a few people know and only those who were actually involved in the incidents. Y'know I had 36 foster homes between 4 & 18 years old – the longest I stayed was 3 months. A few I was at for a couple of weeks, most were a matter of days before I ran away or was sent back to be found another home. At one home the husband beat me with a broom, until one day I took it away from him and hit him with it – I got moved on." He paused and looked at his friend. There was more to his upbringing that Callen was still not ready to admit, not even to Sam.

Sam offered Callen a drink and he gratefully took a couple of sips before continuing.

"When I was under cover in prison, I got close to Charlie. He had a crap upbringing –born in prison, to a mother who was a junkie and a drunk, so the other prisoners raised him. He didn't know anything else and got in with the wrong crowd. I was going to get him out and help him turn his life around. He tried to help me, to cut me down and stop the beatings but Dallas killed him so I didn't get the chance."

"But you've done OK. You've got morals and you're certainly not a racist. Sure, after your mother was murdered, you endured hardship of an unsettled and unstable life but you turned your life around. Your strength of character made you the man you are today."

"No, Sam, you're wrong. When I was 15, I ran away yet again but was caught and thrown into juvie. Worst two weeks of my life. I was beaten by the inmates and staff alike but gave as good as I got. One day I escaped, stole a car and lead the police a merry dance until I crashed into a lamp post. I tried to run but they caught me. This time I knew I was in big trouble, that I'd be tried for criminal damage and sent to jail. In that respect I'd be no different from Charlie. I would've mixed with the wrong crowd and gone down a completely different path."

"What happened?" asked Sam

"Fate, divine intervention or whatever you wanna call it. I was given a life line. I'd never met her but Hetty intervened, stopped the police taking me in and took me away from social services. Brought me up, gave me a chance of an education, mentored me. No, Hetty made me the man I am today."

"Perhaps you should tell her then but I have a feeling she already knows" countered Sam, looking at his friend, and wondering how they could be so close but he have very little knowledge of Callen's life before they become partners. Although Sam had a tough upbringing with a military father, he was raised by his parents in a strict but loving family environment. Sam couldn't begin to imagine what it felt like to be raised in care, with so many different families but not to know your family or your own name, which is why Callen was referred to a G by a select few.

"Perhaps I will. Sam. She deserves to hear it from me" admitted Callen.