Special Agent G Callen strolled into the ops centre behind his partner Sam, after being summoned mere moments ago by Eric. Kensi and Deeks were already there, bickering quietly about Callen had no interest in hearing. He stepped over to take his usual spot in front of the large screen, which is when he noticed something.

"No Nell?" He asked Eric.

"No, she said something about a special project for Hetty." Eric shrugged and continued on with the briefing on their case. He threw up some photos on the screen and explained why they were being called in.

Callen was listening but at the back of his mind he was wondering why Nell wasn't there. It was almost unheard of for the intelligence analyst to miss a briefing, special project or not. She was always there, tag teaming the information with Eric.

"We'll take the interview at the boatshed." Callen said when Eric was done. "Kensi, you and Deeks head out to the warehouse." Kensi and Deeks nodded and headed out, still bickering.

"Sam, I'll meet you at the boatshed, I got something I need to do first." Something was up and he knew exactly where to go to find out what.

Xxxx

Nell Jones was in the burn room slowly and methodically tossing old paperwork into the incinerator, her back to the door so anyone who happened to come down would only see her from behind. She knew she couldn't do this all day but it would give her a couple hours to come up with something else to keep her out of sight of her colleagues. She had contemplated just calling in sick but she was never off sick and knew that would draw even more attention. She was about to toss another file in when she felt it. There was only one person who could watch her that quietly but intensely. She could practically feel his eyes burning into her.

Realising she was busted, she paused what she was doing and stood still, taking in a deep breath.

"Are you going to say anything or just keep standing there watching me?" She said, without turning around.

Callen moved from his position leaning against the doorframe with his legs crossed at the ankles and hands in pockets, to stand up straight and take a couple steps into the small room.

"You don't miss briefings." He simply said.

Nell returned to tossing the papers into the incinerator.

"And I'm not buying a special Hetty project." He added. "Burning old files is not a special project." He took another couple steps inside so he was just a few feet away from Nell.

"What's going on?" He pressed.

"Nothing's going on." Nell shrugged, still keeping back to the agent. "Don't you have a case you need to work?@ she added, hoping to encourage him to leave.

"Nell, look at me." He urged, concern growing over her out of character behaviour, most obviously that she was deliberately not tuening around to talk to him.

"You're not going to leave until I do, are you?" She asked quietly.

"Nope." He replied.

Nell had hoped to get to the end of the day unseen and then it would have been the weekend, and by Monday none of this would be necessary but it would seem that Callen had other plans.

"Fine." She sighed, and slowly turned around, her eyes lowered as she did not want to get sucked into those baby blues.

Callen's eyes widened, he stood up straight and his jaw tightened when he finally saw Nell's face. Her left eye was a nasty shade of purple and her lip was split and swollen.

"Nell" There was so much emotion and concern in that one syllable it created a knot in Nell's stomach and she shifted her weight and wrung her hands together nervously.

"Did someone hurt you?" He asked through gritted teeth. "Just say the word and I'll take care of it."

Nell had always been an independent woman, she had never needed, nor wanted, to be saved, but knowing someone like Callen was willing to do that for her without hesitation was heartwarming, even if in this case it was entirely unnecessary.

"I appreciate the offer Callen, I really do. But this really isn't what it looks like." She told him.

"So what is it then?" Callen asked skeptically, not yet ready to believe her. "You've not been in the field to be fighting with suspects again."

"Uh no, no I have not." She nodded.

"So who gave you the black eye and split lip then?" He asked insistently.

"Urgh, this is so embarrassing." Nell mutterered. She lowered her head for a moment, realising she was going to have to tell him the whole story. "A punching bag okay. It was a punching bag that did this to me." She finally admitted as she threw the papers in her hand down onto a box. She noticed that Callen still didn't look convinced.

"I swear." She said. "I was at my gym last night, I didn't know they'd changed the bag for the lighter one for a kids session, and when I punched it I wasn't expecting it to swing so much and the kickback took me out."

Callen finally relaxed a little, it was such a bad story it actually had to be true. He closed the gap between them and reached out, gently lifting her chin with two fingers and tilting her head so he could better see the damage.

Nell watched him as his eyes darted across her face, her breath caught in her throat over just how inside her personal space he was. She wasn't used to having the attention of the senior agent like this and it unnerved her.

"So a punching bag did this huh?" He asked softly, his eyes still scanning over her face.

"Well..." Nell started. "It was actually the floor that did the damage, when I face planted after getting knocked off my feet by the bag."

Callen screwed his face up and winced as he pictured the scene. "Ouch" he said in sympathy. "But why are you hiding down here and avoiding everyone?" he asked as he finally drew his hand back.

"Because it's embarrassing." She admitted. "None of you would get sucker punched by a bag."

"Don't be so sure." Callen laughed.

"Look, its bad enough you've seen...this..." She waved her hand about her face. "I look awful and I don't want to deal with all the questions and sympathy...or laughter." She raised an eyebrow at the thought of the jokes that would come her way. "And you know Eric would just freak out." She sighed.

"I get it." Callen nodded, knowing how brutal his team could be when it came to teasing one of them. "Listen, Sam and I will be done at the boatshed in an hour, why don't you go work there and I'll give you a call if we need to come back. You'll be able to steer clear of everyone and I'll cover for you with Eric." Callen told her.

"Thank you Callen, I really appreciate it." Nell smiled, but winced a bit as it nipped her cut lip.

"Anytime Nell " Callen replied as he backed out the room to leave.

Just before he stepped out into the hall he stopped and looked back over. "Oh and Nell..."

"Yeah?"

"You look anything but awful." He smiled.