Opening the doors of the mission and walking in Callen felt the same feeling he had felt when returning from sick leave after being shot seven years ago.

He'd met with his team outside of work, they had all assured him that they trusted him. Having been debriefed by Director Vance a week earlier, he was looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.

It was still early as he put his bag down on his desk.

"Nervous Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked as she walked around the side of the bullpen.

"A little." He admitted.

She patted his arm, "You are back where you belong." She assured him. He moved the bag from the desk to the floor and headed to the kitchen.

"Tea?" He called.

Hetty nodded and knowing that Callen would use her teapot and cups she walked to her desk and waited for him to join her.

"Chamomile." Callen informed her as he placed the tea things in front of her.

"You think you need it?" Hetty asked.

Callen nodded. One thing he had got from the exit counseling was that he and Hetty had a more open relationship. He had learned that hiding what he was feeling wasn't a sign of weakness. That having family to confide in was alright, even if they were not blood.

"How did your meeting with Director Vance go?" She asked.

"You didn't read the report?!" Callen asked surprised.

Hetty smiled, "I read the official report. I understand you are up for a commendation, well done."

Callen smiled sadly, "I already told him I don't deserve it, I don't want it either."

"However…." Hetty cut over him, "I wanted to know from your perspective how your meeting with Director Vance went."

Callen shrugged. "It was alright, I guess. He asked if I was still seeing Harris and Carter."

"Are you?"

"No. I had my last session with Carter yesterday, which is why I postponed dinner." He explained. "I think I'm in a good place, I told him he could send you a report, but he thinks I'm going to be alright as well."

"I will look forward to reading it."

There was a noise as the others started coming into work.

Hetty patted his hand encouragingly and Callen went to join them in the bullpen.

"You seen that pile of paperwork you've got G?" Sam smirked as he sat down.

"Yep." Callen had glanced at it. "You didn't help me out?"

Sam raised an eyebrow in surprise, "When was the last time you did my leftover paperwork?" He asked glad that the answering question got a smile out of his friend.

"I would do it, but you never leave anything undone." He replied, pleased that they didn't make a big thing of his return to duty. He settled down and got back to the business at hand. Being part of his team.

Marco sat in the bright sun room in the rehabilitation center. It was a day he'd been both dreading and looking forward to. Visitor day.

He'd been working with Carter and Harris for six months, it had taken a lot of pain and heartache before he had come to finally accept that The Calling was wrong. Still parts of him longed for the family he had left behind, but he knew that taking and training young children to be assassins, teaching them that The Calling would be the saving grace of the world was wrong.

However, he still missed the structure that The Calling had given him and the indefinable sense that he was part of something better than himself, something right and pure.

He had found himself spending a few months adrift, exploring his feelings over what had happened and then trying to find himself.

This proved harder than Carter had told him it would be and for a month Marco had found himself swinging between the easygoing persona of Tony DiNozzo and the more tougher and worldly wise Marco Marsino. When Carter had said that he could have a visitor there were only two people Marco wanted to see.

Callen and Gibbs.

Callen had been surprised when he'd received the letter from the center asking him if he would visit with Marco and had thought about it long and hard. Gibbs on the other hand had jumped at the chance. He'd caught the first plane to Los Angeles and had arranged to meet with Callen before going on to visit with Marco.

Callen sat at the same meeting point they had used nearly 8 years earlier when the Blackbird Case had brought Gibbs and McGee to Los Angeles. Callen getting there early revelling in the calm that the scene before him gave him.

"You good?" Gibbs asked as he walked over and joined Callen on the bench.

Callen leaned forward for a moment putting his hands on his knees, "I've had better days." He admitted. "But I'm good."

Gibbs smiled slightly, "Good to hear. I hear you turned down a commendation. You didn't want to take it?" He asked.

"Do you ever take yours?" Callen sighed. "I turned it down for a reason Gibbs, I didn't deserve it. I'm ok. I'm getting on with my life."

"That's good to hear." Gibbs said again. "I got a letter from Marco, I'm going to go and visit him this afternoon. Are you going?"

Callen shrugged, "I don't know. I mean what do I say to him? I put that behind me. I am more focused on my team right now. Kensi and Deeks are planning their wedding, Sam's daughter Kamran is going to be a flower girl." Callen smiled, "It's nice to get away from all the wedding talk at the office. Even Hetty and Nell are consumed by it when we don't have a case."

Gibbs couldn't help the laugh that escaped, "Why do you think I had rule 12. No dating means no weddings. How is Hetty?"

"She's good, we are getting on better."

Gibbs waited silently as Callen readjusted his focus towards the Ocean.

"I'm worried Gibbs." He finally admitted. "I have put The Calling behind me. I don't want to be a part of it, I don't want to think about it. When Marco's letter arrived through the internal mail I was worried I might fall back. What if Marco isn't really cured… isn't free of them? What if he wants to get me back into The Calling? I'm not sure I would be strong enough to get away again."

"I believe the reports I've gotten from Carter and Harris. Marco is getting there. He still has a way to go, but they think a visit from us might help him."

"How?" Callen asked truly intrigued.

"Carter said that Marco is still finding his true self. You knew him before, when he was younger a part of him I never knew. I knew DiNozzo… maybe we could help him feel safe enough to find the person mixed up in all of that. You don't have to go Callen, you've got your life back and no one will blame you if you don't want to visit him, but he was my friend for 13 years and I miss him." Gibbs said bluntly.

"I'll think about it, but not today ok Jethro?" Callen said.

Gibbs nodded, "You take your time, I'll let him know you saw his letter and are considering it."

Callen stood up, "I gotta get back to work." He said and shook the older man's hand. "You got somewhere to stay?" He asked.

Gibbs shook his head, "Was gonna look after I met with you." He admitted.

Callen took a key off his key ring and handed it to Gibbs, "My place. I'll text you the address, it has a spare room. It's even got a bed."

Gibbs nodded, impressed. "Thanks, I'll buy dinner tonight." He offered.

"Good, I'll be back by eight."

Marco watched from the window of the meeting room as Gibbs stood outside the center, mentally preparing himself for the meeting.

He knew what Gibbs was doing having seen him do it many times before and he thought that maybe this time he was feeling the same thing as he was. Nervousness, trepidation, worry.

He turned back to the room. It was bright and airy, he'd made sure that they had made some decent coffee for Gibbs, he himself preferred tea so they had bought a tray of that as well.

Marco found himself pacing as he waited, worried about what Gibbs would say to him. He knew he couldn't atone for what he had done, but he needed to try, just a little bit. He was afraid Gibbs would be angry at him, blame him for the death of Dorneget, or for Luke Harris shooting him.

He turned back to look out of the window as he heard a knock and the door opened.

"Di… Marco…?"

Marco turned and smiled. "Gibbs, Thank you for coming."

He felt nervous and he rubbed his hands down the side of his legs nervously instead of shaking Gibbs' hand as he wanted to do. "Please sit down." He said and sat in the chair.

"How are you?" Gibbs asked.

"Better…" Marco laughed nervously, "It's not like I was sick, just… stupid."

Gibbs shook his head, "I talked to Carter and Harris, you were not stupid. You were just raised to believe in something that wasn't real. That is not your fault."

Marco sighed and looked at his hands for a moment. "Yeah, but people were hurt because of my actions, good people…" He looked up and smiled for a moment. "Sorry, I am being a bad host, Coffee?" He asked looking over to the coffee pot on the table between them.

Gibbs eyed it warily.

"Don't worry, it's your blend. Carter arranged for Elaine to send some beans to us to grind."

Gibbs smiled and nodded, "You gonna have some too?" He asked, looking for the hazelnut creamer that DiNozzo used to pour in his coffee.

Marco shook his head, "I don't like coffee, I have some tea." He said looking at the teapot beside the coffee pot and pouring himself out a cup."

Gibbs was surprised at that, but took the coffee that Marco handed him and took an appreciative sip.

"So, tell me about you Marco?"

"What do you mean Gibbs?" Marco asked. He had been expecting a lot of questions, but not that one. "I thought you would want to ask me about what I did while I was with The Calling, you know finish your interrogation?"

Gibbs shook his head, "I came to see a friend."

Marco sat on the couch sadly. "Tony DiNozzo was a fake, everything about him was a fake. He doesn't exist Gibbs. I'm sorry, but if that is who you were hoping for, he isn't here anymore."

Gibbs moved and sat facing him.

"I worked for a long time with a man who had many many masks. His name was never important to me, but occasionally I got to see the man behind the mask. Not the Frat boy, the joker or the movie addict; but the man. That man was my friend and I think… I think he's still here."

Marco looked up, a small light of hope in his eyes. He had missed Jethro, the man that the boy hiding inside the man had looked to for guidance. The person who Marco could be his true self with. The only person who he had ever been his true self with, in brief doses.

"I am Jethro." He said softly.

"So… Tell me about you?"

Marco smiled; not a DiNozzo, 1000 watt, cocky smile, but a Marco, hopeful but hesitant smile. A real smile.

"What do you want to know?"