Nell stood in front of the mirror in the women's locker room, her fingertips tracing the bruised skin of her lower lip. The swelling had already started, it was darkening to a deep shade of purple-blue. She winced slightly at the tenderness, not just from the pain but from the memory of how it had happened.
Callen had hit her.
She knew why he'd done it. It had been part of the mission— undercover, no room for hesitation, no time for anything but instinct. She had played her part, just as he had played his. And yet, ever since they had gotten back to headquarters, he had been avoiding her. No eye contact, no casual conversation, just quick exits and unfinished sentences.
The door to the locker room creaked open, and Kensi entered, holding a small ice pack wrapped in a paper towel. She offered it to Nell, her expression soft but unreadable.
"Here," Kensi said, her voice low.
"Thanks," Nell murmured, taking the ice pack and pressing it gently against her lip. She exhaled, her eyes darting to Kensi's. "Callen's been avoiding me."
Kensi leaned against the lockers, her posture casual, but there was a tension in her shoulders that Nell noticed. She crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on Nell. "Yeah," she replied, her tone flat. "I noticed."
"I don't get it," Nell continued, her voice tinged with frustration. "I mean, Callen's hit Sam before. And Sam's hit him. A lot. It's part of the job, right? So why is this different? Is it because I'm a woman?" Her words were sharp, laced with the sting of a question she'd been trying to avoid asking herself.
Kensi studied her for a moment, her expression softening. She uncrossed her arms and pushed off from the lockers, stepping closer. "No," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "It's because it's you."
Nell blinked, taken aback. She had expected Kensi to offer some line about outdated notions of chivalry or how Callen might feel guilty for hitting a woman, but this—this was different. It was as if Kensi had understood something Nell hadn't figured out herself.
"What do you mean?" Nell asked, her voice barely above a whisper, the ice pack still pressed against her lip.
"It's about you being someone he cares about. And that scares him."
Nell's breath caught in her throat, the weight of Kensi's words sinking in. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.
Kensi gave her a small, knowing smile. "Give him time," she said, before heading for the door. "He'll come around."