The challenges the day had given had weighed heavily on them all

AFTER ACTION

THIS IS NOT HOW THIS ENDS

Mission Ops

"But what if we never find her?" Nell asked, before immediately wishing she didn't verbalize one of her greatest fears.

"No, Nell. This is not how this ends." Eric said, displaying a level of seriousness that surprised even him.

She turned and walked to the center table. "You don't know that Eric." She said, trying to keep the dark thoughts going through her head at bay.

Eric spun his chair around and stood up. He walked over to her and took her face in his hands.

"I do know that." He whispered, placing his forehead to hers as he brushed the single tear that fell down her cheek with his thumb.

"Because I believe that we will find her. Because I believe that we will come out of this victorious. Because I believe there is a way to win this. This is not our Kobiyashi Maru. And just like Kirk, if we can't find a solution, we will just make our own." He said.

Nell couldn't help but smile. Even in the darkest times he always had a way of adding little nerdy comments that made her smile.

"You're right." She said before grabbing his head and kissing him on the lips quickly. "Let's do this" She said before returning to her spot and typing furiously. Eric stood for a few moments, watching her on the war path to get their friend and colleague back before taking his seat next to her and begging his own search.

I WILL KILL YOU

Boatshed

Sam would never say it publically but deep down he didn't blame Deeks for how he felt, even with him currently turning Vostanik Sabatino's face into raw hamburger.

"Where!" His voice accentuated by the sound of fist meeting face.

"Is!" Another thud sounded.

"She!" Sam thought he heard the tell tail snap of a bone, probably in Deeks' hand.

"I swear to God I don't know!" Sabatino shouted. Sam decided that it was time to step in.

He stepped in the room and grabbed the back of Deeks' vest pulling him back.

"Deeks! That's enough!" Sam called out to him. He yanked Deeks back out of range as Sabatino crawled back into a sitting position.

"I'm telling the truth. I don't know where she is." Sabatino said between breaths.

"If I find out you are lying to me…." Deeks said.

"That's enough!" Sam said, pulling Deeks out into the corridor and shutting the door behind him.

Everyone in the room knew what words Deeks was going to finish that sentence with.

I'll kill you

"Come on, Sam! You know he knows something." Deeks said.

"We don't know that. What I do know is that you need to calm down before you do something that will cost you." Sam said.

"Don't give me that crap. If it was Michelle you'd be doing the same thing." Deeks said.

Sam usually would take the man to task for saying that but Sam decided to try a different tactic.

"You are absolutely right. But when my family was threatened and I couldn't think rationally I trusted someone else to think rationally for me. Which is what I'm doing for you right now. And until we find Kensi I am going to continue to do the thinking for you because you and I both know you can't and won't until we find her." Sam replied.

Deeks, trying to find something to push back on and coming up on empty, could only scoff and stomp off to cool down.

YOU BETRAYED MY FAMILY

Boatshed

Sam steeled himself for the confrontation ahead before twisting the knob and opening the door. He stepped inside to see Joelle staring at him.

Sam stepped over and unlocked the cuffs keeping her at the table.

"You are free to go. Agent Wilkins will drive you home." He said, trying very hard to contain the rage he felt for her.

"Sam, I'm sorry." She tried to say.

"Don't….don't try to apologize for what you have done." He cut her off.

"I never wanted this." She again tried to say.

"10 years, Jolelle. I've known you for 10 years and you never mentioned any of this. You worked for the same agency my wife did. And even when you found out about Callen you never told us you were CIA. You may or may not have been part of Ferris' plan but that is not the point. You betrayed me, you betrayed my wife, you betrayed my children, you betrayed my partner, you betrayed my brother, you betrayed my best friend, and you betrayed my family. Don't ask for forgiveness, because you will not find any here." Sam said, his eyes boring holes into hers.

Joelle tried to hold back tears but couldn't

"Now, get out." Sam said, pointing out the door. Joelle borderline ran out of the room and out of the boatshed leaving Sam alone in silence.

GOODBYE, OWEN

LA Mercy General Hospital

Hetty couldn't even begin to count the amount of times she had ridden this elevator. Just about every member of her team had spent a significant amount of time here and Hetty was confidant she could navigate the halls blindfolded.

She stopped by the nurse station to sign the visitor log when one of the nurses, Carol if her memory recalled, stepped up across from her.

"Miss Lange, was it?" She asked.

"Yes. How is Owen?" Hetty replied.

"He has been in and out of consciousness most of the day. During an hour or so that he was awake he asked me to give you this paperwork." Carol replied handing Hetty an envelope.

She opened it to find two papers. One designating her as his medical proxy and the second was a signed DNR order.

"How long does he have left?" Hetty said, trying hard to fight the emotions that filled her.

"The doctor doesn't think he will last the night. You are welcome to stay with him as long as you need. Is there any family you would like me to call? Or a chaplin?" Carol asked.

Hetty should her head. "No. Owen is not a man of faith and the only family he has he wouldn't want here. Thank you very much.

Hetty turned and stepped inside the room, slowly closing the door behind her. Her eyes were glued to the figure, frailer then she had ever expected, lying on the bed. The slow beeps and hisses of the machines that help him breath where the only sound in the room.

She took a seat in the now familiar chair and reached out to take his hand in hers.

"It's over, Owen. We caught the mole. The long nightmare is finally over. You can rest now." She whispered to him.

Hours seem to pass before a beeping could be heard. Hetty looked up from Granger to the monitors to see that his pulse was dropping and his respiratory rate was going down. Hetty leaned in and placed a gently kiss on his forehead before whispering to him.

"Goodbye, Owen"

Right after she finished the telltale beep was heard of the heart monitor.

These were little micro-scenes I wanted to have play out during Payback. Before you go complaining about not having a Kensi/Deeks one they were the primary focus on the episode so I saw no reason to include them in this.

I know they wrote Owen out differently but this is how I imagined it going down and I had this idea before the new episode aired.

It was awesome to see AJ make an appearance. I never expected a JAG appearance in the grand series, and at least not LA since they seem to really be distancing themselves from NCIS now with minimal references.

It seems like my stubbornness paid off ::Gently shuts the closet door that is filled with "We want Nerds" and "Give us a Nell/Eric featured episode" signs:: And as an added bonus we have a RED agent returning. I actually have an episode in mind that covers his return.

Also side note after this weeks episode. Does anyone else besides me hope that Nate returns as a regular now? I always loved his character and looked forward to his seasonally appearances

As always Thank you for Reading, Reviewing, Favoriting, and Following.