As Callen and Nell stepped into the hallway, the rest of the team was already closing in. Sam was the first to appear around the corner, his presence filling the space, followed by Kensi and Deeks, their steps heavy after the chaos of the operation.

"Everything good?" Sam asked, his eyes scanning the room before landing on Callen and Nell. He immediately noted the tension in the air and the blood on Nell's face.

Callen, looking more collected than he had a few minutes ago, nodded confidently. "We're clear. Took care of the last of them, and we secured the data."

Deeks, always the first to notice anything out of the ordinary, shot a glance between Callen and Nell, catching the lingering concern in Callen's eyes. "You two look like you've been through a blender. What happened?"

Nell's hand instinctively reached for her temple, brushing away the blood that was still trickling down her skin. "It's nothing," she said quickly, trying to wave it off. "Just a little scrape."

But Kensi wasn't buying it. She stepped forward, eyes narrowing in concern. "A scrape? Nell, you're bleeding."

"I'm fine," Nell replied with a reassuring smile, though there was a small wince in her expression. "Honestly. It's nothing to worry about."

Sam, already stepping toward her, frowned. His eyes moved from Nell's temple to her face, brow furrowing as he took in the sight of the fresh blood. "That's more than a scratch," he said, voice low and steady. "What happened?"

Callen, ever the protector, stepped in closer, his gaze softening as he saw the team's concern. "She's fine," he said, his voice firm but with an edge of tenderness. "A bullet grazed her head during the firefight. Nothing serious."

Kensi's face tightened, her concern shifting to full-blown worry. "Are you sure? You should've told us, Nell. We could've had a medic here by now."

"I'm fine," Nell insisted, but even as she spoke, she winced slightly when Sam reached out to gently touch her temple, inspecting the wound.

"Looks like it's just a graze," Sam said, but his voice had that underlying concern. "Still, you should get it cleaned up properly."

Nell nodded, though she tried to brush it off. "It's nothing. I didn't even feel it until after."

Deeks, ever the joker, leaned in with an exaggerated expression of mock horror. "You finished the op and didn't scream in pain? That's some serious dedication, Nell."

Nell shot him a wry smile, clearly amused despite the situation. "It's not as dramatic as you think, Deeks."

"Still," Kensi chimed in, her eyes not leaving Nell's wound, "you're not exactly glowing, you should sit down, get that cleaned and bandaged."

Callen glanced down at Nell, his gaze flickering briefly between the others and then back to her. "She's right. Let's get you patched up." His voice, though firm, was softer when he spoke to Nell. "You're not getting out of this one that easily."

Nell met his eyes, the faintest of smiles tugging at her lips despite the concern from the team. "Thanks, Callen. But I'll survive."

Sam gave her a small, understanding nod. "Next time, do us a favor and let someone know you're injured before it starts looking like a crime scene."

"Noted," she said with a quick, grateful glance at Sam, before turning to the rest of the team. "Honestly, it's just a flesh wound. I'll be fine, you all worry too much."

Callen, though, wasn't so easily convinced. He nodded toward the exit. "Let's get out of here. I'll have Eric get a forensics team down here to look at all this."

The team began to move out, Callen walking alongside Nell, still making sure to keep a steady eye on her, though he knew she wasn't in immediate danger. As they passed through the door, the weight of the operation shifted from the adrenaline-fueled rush to something quieter, but just as significant. And for a moment, as they made their way back, Callen couldn't help but linger just a little closer to Nell than usual—his protective instinct still there, but wrapped in a gentler touch than before.