The motel door clicked shut with a heavy finality as Callen turned the deadbolt, his fingers lingering on the lock for just a second longer than necessary. The events of the night still sat uneasy in his gut, and as much as he wanted to shake it off, he wasn't about to take any chances.
From her spot on the bed, Nell watched quietly as he did a full sweep of the small room. He checked the window, tugged the curtain tighter, then went back to the door—rechecking the lock like he hadn't just done it thirty seconds ago.
Her lips twitched. "You know, if you do that a few more times, it might actually lock properly."
Callen turned, rolling his eyes, but there was the ghost of a smirk on his lips as he finally stepped away from his security check.
"Just being thorough," he said, dropping onto the bed beside her with a heavy sigh.
For a moment, neither of them said anything. The room was quiet except for the low hum of the TV. The strangeness of the town, the encounter outside the diner—it all seemed to press in around them. But here, in this room, with Callen beside her, the tension eased just a little.
She finally settled on an old action movie, something from the late '90s with terrible CGI explosions.
"Well," she said, setting the remote down. "At least we have quality entertainment."
Callen chuckled. "It'll do."
They fell into a comfortable silence as the movie played, and the longer they sat there, the more Nell felt the exhaustion creeping in. The day had been long, and the stress of the evening had drained her more than she wanted to admit.
Her blinks grew slower, her head tilting slightly toward Callen's shoulder before she caught herself.
Callen noticed, smirking. "Just get some sleep, Nell. I'll make sure we're safe."
She yawned, stretching slightly before curling up against the pillows. "You better."
Callen shook his head with amusement, shifting just enough to get comfortable while keeping one eye on the room.
Outside, the wind howled against the thin motel walls.
Inside, with Nell beside him, it didn't seem quite as unsettling.