After Callen left, Hetty took a deep sigh. She knew inside of herself that he was right, but why did she still feel so awful?'
Then she saw Granger walking up to her wearing a brown suit.
'I, might have overheard some of that. I'm just making sure you're okay.' He said.
'I take it that given your fancy suit, you are hoping to ask me out?' She asked.
'You would be right. I figured you probably wouldn't be up to going anywhere, so I ordered some Korean takeout and left it over at the couch near the bullpen. Sound good?'
Hetty weakly smiled.
Couch near the bullpen.
'It wasn't your fault, I'm sure you know that.' Granger started.
'I failed him, Owen. I tried to help him, and I ended up making him hate me enough to want me dead. How does that help?!' Hetty asked.
'No, the people who took him in after he left you made him hate you. From what I've seen through the years, you care for these people like they are your own kids. Akos made his choice, you didn't make it for him.'
'And what if there's others who feel exactly like him? What if every part of my past is now a huge danger to the team? What if this life we've led is now a danger to everyone we know?!'
Rubbing her shoulder. 'Hetty, everyone on this team understand how hard this kind of life is. They love you, I love you, they understand what having demons of the past is like. I don't think they will blame you for what happened with Akos.' Granger said, trying to comfort her.
'Then why do I still feel so guilty for it all? He came after us, I had to kill him to protect Mr. Callen, and yet, you say it wasn't my fault?' Hetty asked, perplexed.
Smiling. 'My guess, is that you care so much, it hurts. Or to put it in simpler terms, you have a big heart. Bigger then I'll ever have.'
Hetty wearily smiled. 'How did you get to be so wise?'
'Luck. And maybe your matchmaking skills rubbed off on me a bit.'
That got Hetty to chuckle.
After they were done eating, they went home.
Bedroom.
'Hey, things will get better from here. Whatever you need, I'm here, along with everyone else.' Granger told her.
'I hope you're right.' Hetty replied, with a worried smile. Then she rested her head next to him and slowly went to sleep.
After New Year's, Hetty went to Greece, and Granger went with her. He watched from a distance as she scattered Akos's ashes.
'Feel better?' He asked.
'Yeah, yeah I feel pretty good!' She replied, feeling good.