The road stretched endlessly ahead, the late afternoon sun casting a golden glow over the empty landscape. The hum of the engine filled the quiet spaces between their conversation, easy and familiar after a long day of work.

"I'm just saying," Callen said, glancing at Nell with a smirk, "you have way too much faith in people."

Nell scoffed, shifting slightly in her seat to face him. "And you have way too little. Not everyone is hiding some deep, dark secret, Callen."

He arched a brow. "We literally just spent the last two hours interviewing a guy who pretended to be a mechanic while running an illegal weapons ring out of his auto shop."

"Okay, but most people aren't secretly arms dealers," she countered, crossing her arms. "You're just paranoid."

"Paranoid keeps me alive."

Nell rolled her eyes, but there was amusement there. "So, what, you just assume everyone has an ulterior motive?"

"Pretty much."

"Even me?"

Callen shot her a sidelong glance, lips quirking. "Haven't figured yours out yet."

Nell smirked, leaning back against the seat. "Maybe I just like keeping you on your toes."

Callen chuckled, shaking his head. The conversation lapsed into a comfortable silence, the kind that didn't feel the need to be filled. The scenery passed in a blur—fields, old wooden fences, the occasional gas station that looked like it hadn't been updated in twenty years.

Nell propped her elbow on the door, resting her chin in her hand. "You know, if we weren't in the middle of nowhere, this would actually be kind of nice."

Callen hummed in agreement. "No paperwork. No explosions. Just the open road."

"And you, naturally, behind the wheel because of course you wouldn't let me drive."

He smirked. "Hey, I offered."

She scoffed. "You 'offered' in the most insincere way possible. 'Wanna drive? Oh, wait, never mind, I don't trust anyone but me behind the wheel.'"

"Exactly."

Nell shook her head, laughing softly. "Control freak."

He shrugged, unapologetic.

Another stretch of quiet. The sun had begun to lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the pavement. Nell exhaled, shifting to get more comfortable. "You ever just… want to keep driving?"

Callen glanced at her, surprised by the shift in tone. "What, like disappear into the sunset?"

"Not disappear," she clarified. "Just… take a detour. No case. No work. Just drive and see where you end up."

He considered that. It wasn't something he usually allowed himself to think about. He'd spent so much of his life moving, but it had never been by choice.

"Yeah," he admitted finally. "Sometimes."

Nell smiled, looking out at the horizon. "Me too."

And then the car sputtered.

The smooth hum of the engine stuttered, coughing out a weak protest before dying entirely. The vehicle rolled a few more feet before the dashboard flickered and went dark, leaving them coasting to a stop on the side of the road.

Nell blinked. "Tell me that was just a hiccup and not total engine failure."

Callen turned the key. The engine didn't even try.

"That sounded… bad." Nell said.

"Yup."

Nell let out a long sigh, glancing around at their surroundings—no houses, no passing cars, no streetlights. Just the quiet hum of insects and the faint rustling of wind through the trees.

"So," she said slowly. "This is how horror movies start."

Callen shot her a look. "You're really not helping."

She shrugged. "I like to set realistic expectations."

Rolling his eyes, Callen pushed open the door and stepped out, already mentally running through the possible problems. Popping the hood, he waved away the cloud of steam rising from the engine and muttered a curse.

Nell leaned out the window. "Anything obvious?"

"Yeah," he grumbled. "We're screwed."

Still, he bent forward, checking the hoses, the coolant levels—anything that could be a quick fix. A slow drip caught his attention, and he frowned, reaching in to brush his fingers along the radiator hose. It was hotter than he expected, and he hissed as the burn sizzled across his skin.

"Damn it."

Nell was already unbuckling her seatbelt. "That did not sound good."

"It's fine," he muttered, shaking out his hand.

But Nell was already at his side, grabbing his wrist before he could brush her off.

"Callen," she said, her voice softer now, more exasperated than scolding.

"I'm fine."

"You're stubborn."

She turned his hand palm-up, revealing the angry red mark just below his thumb. The contact was brief, her fingers warm against his skin, but it sent an unexpected jolt of something through him.

Nell sighed, letting go of his hand before stepping past him, peering into the engine. "So, do you actually know what's wrong, or are you just poking things and hoping for the best?"

Callen smirked. "I know what's wrong." He nodded toward the leak. "Radiator hose is cracked. We lost too much coolant, and now the engine's overheating."

Nell pursed her lips. "That's… unfortunate."

"We're not driving anywhere until it's fixed."

She let out a slow breath, looking around at the deserted road. "Alright. What's Plan B?"

Callen pulled out his phone, holding it up to find a signal. After a few steps, he managed to get just enough reception to call a tow truck. When he returned, he shoved his phone back in his pocket.

"Truck's on the way. They're taking us to Denton."

Nell arched a brow. "That sounds less like a town and more like a place where we'll have to fight for our lives in an abandoned gas station."

Callen smirked, leaning casually against the car. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

His voice was light, teasing, but there was something else there too. A quiet promise underneath the joke. Nell tilted her head, studying him like she was trying to decide just how serious he was.

Her lips twitched. "Good to know I've got a bodyguard."

He shrugged. "Someone's gotta keep you out of trouble."

She scoffed. "Me? I'm the one keeping you out of trouble."

Callen grinned. "Guess we'll call it even."

By the time the tow truck arrived—rattling and groaning like it was barely hanging on—the sun had nearly disappeared, leaving streaks of orange and purple across the sky. The driver, an older man with a face as weathered as his truck, barely spared them a glance before hooking up their car.

"It'll be morning before I can get to it," he said. "You two'll need to find somewhere to stay."

Nell crossed her arms. "Because of course we do."

Callen sighed, glancing at the car. "Hold on."

He walked back to the passenger side, pulling open the door. If they were stuck overnight, they'd need their go-bags. He grabbed both, slinging them over his shoulder before shutting the door and heading back to where Nell stood.

She gave him an amused look. "You really think ahead, huh?"

Callen smirked. "Always."

She shook her head, but her smile lingered as they turned toward the truck.

As he helped her climb in, his hand brushed against hers for just a second—warm, steady, grounding. Neither of them mentioned it.

They both felt it.