Hetty smiled as she put the phone down, Gibbs had just called her and told her about his talk with Callen. It had been a good idea to call him, he wasn't about to open up to her, or Sam and he needed someone he could trust to talk to.

She moved to pick up the phone and make another call. She knew that Callen would need a few days and had told Jethro that Callen and his team had the long weekend off and hopefully Mr. Callen would use the time to his advantage.

Callen woke, surprised that he had fallen asleep and looked over in horror as he realized he had fallen asleep while being comforted by Jethro.

Gibbs had woken earlier and had just finished his call to Hetty as Callen lay exhausted in his arms. It had, in his opinion been just what Callen had needed. They had argued back and forth for about an hour before Callen had cracked and let the last of the pain and resentment he was holding back from his childhood come crashing down on him. Not judging, Gibbs had been there for him and had held him and reassured him as he had sobbed that it was alright for him to feel hurt, that he wasn't being judged as weak or stupid but that his reactions were natural.

Still not entirely believing him Callen had fallen asleep, exhausted being comforted like never before.

Callen shifted fast away from Gibbs, "I'm sorry!" he yelped as he moved out of arm's reach.

Gibbs stretched and stood up, "Coffee?" He asked, saying nothing about it as he walked to the kitchen. Callen didn't see the smile that played on the edge of his lips as Callen's mouth flopped open in astonishment at his friend's actions.

"I… yeah, sure." Callen called after him, "I gotta shower, be about 5 minutes."

He waited until he heard Gibbs bustling in the kitchen, then he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Quickly undressing and standing under the water, he berated himself.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" he hissed. "You let your guard down, in front of Gibbs! Idiot!" he scrubbed hard at his body and his hair as he washed as fast as he used to as a child. He took a second, reveling in the privacy to place a steadying hand on the wall as he allowed himself a moment. The water hid the pain he was feeling and he needed to box it back up where it was safe, where no one would see it.

It wouldn't go.

"Fuck!" Callen cursed, he angrily shut off the water and grabbed a towel to dry his hair with. Drying quickly and throwing the towel in the hamper he dressed, pulled on his boots and walked out to join Gibbs.

He refused to look at his friend as he grabbed a mug and helped himself to a coffee from the pot.

"You done?" Gibbs asked as he looked over the paper at the kitchen table.

"Just poured it." Callen replied, looking at the coffee.

Gibbs shook his head, "Not the coffee, the self flagellation?"

"What?" Callen genuinely looked confused.

"Let me guess, you spent all your time in the shower beating yourself up about yesterday, about you showing me what you were feeling. Well, stop it."

Callen took a step back in self defense, "I…"

"Don't even try to deny it kid, I know you too well." Gibbs folded the paper and placed it on the table in front of him. "Like I told you last night, you are allowed to feel angry and hurt about what happened, it wasn't your fault. No child should have gone through what you did, but some do, that's a fact. You are not to blame for it, and it is normal to talk to people you trust when you are hurt or upset, it's ok for them to see you cry."

"Fuck it Gibbs, I'm a forty five year old man, I shouldn't be crying like a child!" Callen snapped.

"Did you ever cry as a child?" Gibbs asked quietly.

Callen stared at him in shock for a moment, then shook his head, not looking at him.

"Then it's about time you did, don't you think?" Gibbs replied.

"No, I don't." Callen sighed squaring his shoulders and bracing for the recriminations he was expecting to follow. "I'm not like him, I'm not going to whine about how it wasn't fair, how I was lied to. I'm always lied to, it's expected."

"Him?" Gibbs asked, knowing exactly who he was talking about.

"Marco." Callen snapped.

"He cried." Gibbs said quietly.

Callen stopped and looked Gibbs in the eye, "Sorry?"

"Marco cried. He screamed, wailed, punched the hell out of a door. He hated himself and the world. He hated what he had done to him and what he had himself done to others. He said it was easier with those he never met again, but you… You were the hardest. He had liked you, he saw something of a kindred spirit in you. He truly thought what he was doing was helpful to you."

"Sure he did." walking to the counter Callen busied himself cleaning his cup and cleaning the coffee machine.

"He did, you would know this if you would just meet with him." Gibbs pushed gently.

"Why would I want to meet him again? I don't want to be talked to death, he has nothing to say that will change what happened, he can't make it go away." Callen said not turning to look at his friend.

"Can't make what go away?"

"The guilt alright! Is that what you wanted to hear? Yes, I feel guilty." He slammed a mug on the counter wincing as it broke, ignoring the blood from the cut the ceramic had made on his hand.

"Talk to him Callen, he's willing to take whatever you feel you need to dish out."

"What good will it do." Callen sighed as he ran his hand under the faucet and wrapped it in a towel.

"What harm will it do?" Gibbs countered.

Callen stopped and looked at him the unasked question on his face.

"It won't do you any harm. It won't make you seem weak."

"I have work, I don't have time to mess around talking feelings."

"No you don't, I called Hetty the team is on stand down for the weekend. I called Marco, he's willing to meet you with or without Carter, whichever you prefer."

"You think I need to see Carter too?" Callen's hurt look hit Gibbs like a slap in the face.

"No, I know you were cleared, but maybe having a third party there wouldn't hurt."

"You're not going to be there?" Callen asked.

Gibbs smiled, he knew then that slowly Callen was changing his mind. "I should have said a disinterested third party."

Callen leaned against the counter mentally evaluating Gibbs' words, "So… You're not disinterested? Whose side will you be on?" He shook his head, "You don't need to answer that, you and Marco go way back. He's your friend I get it Gibbs. I wouldn't hurt him."

"I would be there for both of you. I care about you both." Gibbs replied.

Callen looked surprised and again Gibbs cursed the system that had raised his friend to be surprised that anyone would or could care about him.

"I… You do?"

"Of course I do, we've been friends for years Callen. I've known you longer than I've known Marco. But I worry about you both. Marco needs to talk to you to move on and you definitely need to talk to Marco. The question is will you talk to him?"

"I'm still not sure it's…" Callen stopped as his phone beeped, he looked down at his message and a wry smile spread over his face. "One of these days I have to figure out how she does that." He put his phone back in his pocket and turned to Gibbs, "Apparently Hetty is suggesting that I go with you and stop procrastinating."

Even Gibbs looked surprised, "Are you sure your house isn't bugged?" he asked.

Callen gave a genuine smile and laughed, "You know I think it might be, but I'm not brave enough to check, are you?"

Gibbs shook his head with a smile playing on the edge of his lips. "So, with or without Carter?"

"With." Callen snapped back, "I don't trust Marco, I'm sorry Gibbs I know he's your friend, and I trust you, but I need someone to watch my back. Carter is a good guy and he'll know if Marco is going to try anything."

Marco walked into his apartment just as his cell phone started ringing.

"Marco." He said and waited as a voice on the other end spoke. A smile lit up his face, "He will?!" He put his keys on the counter as Gibbs continued to talk, "And Carter; Is he coming?" He waited as Gibbs continued, "Tell me where and when, I'll be there." he vowed.

Finally the last thing he needed to do was going to fall into place, maybe he would be free of his guilt at last.