One bullet.

The Collins Dictionary defines a bullet as a small piece of metal with a pointed or rounded end, which is fired out of a gun. You can hold one in your hand and it appears fairly benign. But when fired from a gun, at a high speed, it can cause chaos. It can instantly end or transform the life of its victim and turn the lives of all who care for that person upside down, perhaps forever.

xxxxx

He'd been shot at so many times in the past, more times than he could possibly have a number for. That day, it was just a routine call. He and Sam were going to interview a person of interest for a case. They didn't even necessarily consider this man a suspect. They were just going to talk to him, ask him some questions. They weren't even halfway up the walkway when it happened, a flurry of gunfire aimed in their direction. Callen didn't even have time to pull out his weapon before he was knocked onto the pavement as one bullet hit its mark. Instantly, he felt as if his breath was knocked out of him and an intense pain hit the right side of his abdomen. Fear was instantaneous as well…fear and a bone numbing coldness which seemed to take over his whole body. He could feel himself shaking as Sam tried to stop the bleeding and murmured words of comfort, begging Callen to stay with him, reminiscent of that day on Venice Beach eight years ago. He tried to do what Sam wanted, not wanting to disappoint his partner, but the darkness was beckoning him and he couldn't resist its persistent call. He fell into its grasp, no longer feeling fear or pain.

xxxxx

By the time Sam pulled out his own gun, it was too late. Callen was already down, his light blue shirt permanently stained with a dark red spot which seemed to be growing of its own accord, spreading into a menacing pattern. "You can't do this to me G…please stay with me." Sam immediately called for an ambulance then placed his hands on his partner's abdomen, trying to stop the copious flow of blood. This could not be happening. Michelle had been gone only a mere four months. Now he was going to lose his partner too? "G…please…" he said, his voice catching on a sob. He could not lose him. It just wasn't acceptable. "Fight, buddy…you've got to fight."

xxxxx

Kensi tightly clutched Deeks' hand as they sat in the hard plastic waiting room chairs. Callen had been in surgery for over two hours now. They had no idea if that was good or bad or how long it might take. She was trying very hard to be positive, but the negative thoughts kept creeping in. After what had happened to Sam's wife, it was sometimes very hard to believe that things were going to be okay. It had only showed how vulnerable they all were, how any one of them could be taken at any time. Callen was like a big brother to her. She remembered back to when he used to call her his favorite agent. He didn't really say that to her anymore, but she knew that she was as special to him as he was to her. And now…no…she couldn't let herself think those kinds of thoughts. She had to believe that he was going to be okay. Callen was strong. He would get through this.

xxxxx

Deeks hated hospitals. Always had, always would. In his experience, rarely were you in them for any particularly good reason, Kensi being utmost in his thoughts. He was grateful every day that she was well and strong again. So he had to admit that many times the outcomes were good, but he'd witnessed a whole lot of bad outcomes as well. And now, they were waiting for news about their team leader, a man who he respected and thought of as a friend. He was pretty sure that Callen considered him a friend as well, not that they ever talked about it, but it was just one of those unspoken things. After Sam's wife had been killed, Callen had been shot. It had momentarily scared the hell out of Deeks, until he'd determined that the bullet had been stopped by Callen's vest. Now he wondered if that been an omen of more bad things to come. He glanced over at Sam who was sitting with his eyes closed, maybe just deep in thought or perhaps he was praying. He knew he wasn't sleeping. He felt for the man, he really did. He couldn't imagine the effect it would have on Sam if Callen was to die. It would be bad…really bad, but not just for Sam. He knew it would tear them all to pieces.

xxxxx

Hetty sat in the waiting room with Callen's team, outwardly appearing calm and composed. However, inside, she was a mess. She wanted nothing more than to free the tears she was holding back, but she couldn't do that. It would serve no useful purpose, not for herself, not for the team, especially not for Sam. If she maintained the illusion that everything would be alright, she hoped they would believe it as well. Inside, she was having a hard time separating the image of the man in the OR from the boy who she had finally taken in so many years ago. She had many regrets concerning him.

She regretted she had not been able to save his mother and sister.

She regretted that she hadn't taken him in sooner…much sooner. She knew she could have spared him a lot of pain had she done so.

She regretted the lies she had told, the secrets she had kept. Although she believed they had been told for the right reasons, she knew he didn't feel the same. He always forgave her, but she knew he had doubts. She saw it sometimes in the questions he asked or just the way he looked at her. He was impeccable at undercover work, but she was always able to see through him. Something in his eyes always gave him away, at least to her. And now, she waited. He was going to pull through this. She wouldn't allow herself to believe anything different.

xxxxx

Eric and Nell stayed in Ops. It was where they could do the most good as they tirelessly worked to try to locate the man who had shot Callen. Both were trying their best. Their minds and fingers were on auto pilot as they clicked their computer keyboards and did the best they could to keep working. However, their hearts were with Callen. They knew they would be notified just as soon as the doctor gave word of Callen's condition, but it was hard to be there as they tried to continue their work, wondering and waiting…hoping and praying the news would be good.

xxxxx

After what seemed like forever, the doctor finally appeared. "Family of G. Callen?" he asked. He appeared to be exhausted and his expression was grim.

"That's us…" Sam finally spoke up as the doctor turned to face the somber little group. "How is he?"

"Well, he pulled through the surgery. We did a full exploration of his abdomen. The bullet did a fair amount of damage, nicked his right kidney, fractured two ribs, and caused extensive bleeding and tissue damage. We repaired his kidney and hopefully it will recover full function. He's on a ventilator for now. We'll be moving him to the ICU shortly."

"What are his chances?" Sam asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Well, the main danger is possibility of infection" the doctor replied. "We have him on an antibiotic and he's strong and fit. We'll just have to see how he does over the next few days."

"Thank you," said Sam.

The doctor left as they all breathed a sigh of relief. Hetty, Sam and Kensi had been with Callen through the Venice Beach shooting and had some idea of what they could be facing. They just hoped things would go smoothly and that Callen would avoid infection as the doctor had mentioned.

xxxxx

Callen's teammates took turns staying with him, as the ICU personnel were strictly enforcing their two visitor rule. Sam was at his side almost constantly, refusing to leave him except for very short periods of time. After all, there was no one for him to go home to. His wife was gone and Kamran had entered the Keating Military Academy with her brother. Sam just couldn't bear to leave Callen alone, wanting to be with him when he awoke. He was also still very much afraid that his partner could succumb to his injuries, knowing very well that things didn't always go as expected, especially in a hospital. If that were to happen, if Callen was to die, he didn't want him to be alone. Michelle had been alone and the thought of what she had gone through still haunted his thoughts daily and his dreams at night.

xxxxx

"I'm scared," Kensi whispered. She and Deeks were in the waiting room outside the ICU, waiting for their next shift by their fallen team leader's side.

"I know you are," Deeks said, squeezing her hand. "But, hopefully he'll be waking up soon. You know how strong his is, Kens. I really feel that he's going to be okay."

Kensi nodded. "I hope so. I don't think Sam could take it if something was to happen to Callen." What she kept to herself was that she didn't think she could take it either.

"Don't even think like that," Deeks said. He shifted his chair closer to Kensi's chair, and put his arm around her as she rested her head against his shoulder. "We have to believe he's going to be fine."

xxxxx

Callen didn't start to come to until the next morning. His reaction to the ventilator was not good. Once he realized that he was intubated, he immediately began to panic and the monitors went crazy as his heartbeat, pulse and blood pressure all began to rise.

"Whoa, G, you're okay," Sam said, grabbing his partner's hand and trying to calm him. He tried to reach for the call button with his other free hand, but before he did so, medical personnel quickly came into the room.

"Could you please leave the room for a few minutes?" an unfamiliar doctor asked Sam. Callen immediately tightened his grasp on Sam's hand.

"It might be easier if I stay," Sam said quietly, nodding towards the white knuckled grip Callen had on him.

The doctor nodded. "Okay, fine. Keep him calm if you can."

Sam murmured hushed reassurances to Callen who seemed focused on Sam's words and the extubation went as smoothly as could be expected. The doctor then checked Callen out and asked him some questions. He said he would inform Callen's surgeon he was conscious before leaving Sam and Callen alone.

"You really scared the hell out of me, G," Sam said, still clinging on to Callen's hand as he looked at his partner through emotion-filled eyes. He shook his head slowly. "I…I didn't know…" he trailed off with a sigh, afraid that he was going to lose control if he kept talking.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Callen said softly, gazing up at his partner. It was easy to see how affected he was by what had happened.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about," Sam said. "I'm just glad you're doing better. Are you in a lot of pain?"

"No," Callen said, shaking his head. "Should I be? How bad is it?"

"They probably have you drugged up pretty good," Sam said. "The bullet did some damage… it nicked your kidney."

"That doesn't sound good," Callen said, looking alarmed.

"The doctor is hopeful you'll recover full kidney function," Sam said reassuringly. "And you have a couple of fractured ribs and some internal bleeding which they repaired. Overall, I think you were lucky."

"How many?" Callen asked.

"How many what?" Sam asked, looking confused.

"How many times did I get shot this time?"

"You got shot once, G," Sam stated. "Once was more than enough, trust me on that."

"It's a lot better than five times," Callen said with a grin.

"It's not funny," Sam stated, looking upset.

"I know it's not," Callen said. "Sorry, Sam…just trying to lighten the mood a bit." He covered his mouth as he yawned and winced slightly as he shifted on the bed.

"You okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah…just kind of tired," Callen said, suddenly in a struggle to keep his eyes open.

"Why don't you try to get some rest," Sam said. "Kensi and Deeks are out in the waiting room and I'm going to let them know you're awake. I need to give Hetty and the wonder twins a call as well. Everyone's been really worried about you."

"Thanks, Sam…" Callen said, allowing his eyes to close. "I'll see you later."

"You take care of yourself, buddy," Sam said, finally letting go of his partner's hand. After giving his friend a long look, he reluctantly left the room.

xxxxx

When Callen next awoke, Kensi and Deeks were sitting in chairs by his bed. "Hey there," Kensi said, giving him a bright smile. "It's nice to see those beautiful blue eyes open."

"Hey, Kens," Callen said, returning her smile.

"I thought my beautiful blue eyes were the only ones you noticed," Deeks said, grinning at Kensi.

"She's known my eyes for longer, Deeks," Callen teased.

"Seriously though, Callen, how are you feeling?" Deeks asked.

"Okay," said Callen with a slight shrug. "Did Sam go home?"

Kensi shook her head. "He's in the cafeteria getting something to eat."

Callen nodded. "That's good. You should see if you can get him to go home."

"Pretty sure that's going to be a futile effort," Deeks said. "He's really worried about you. We all are, but with him…"

"Yeah, I know," Callen said with a soft sigh. "I hate to see him so upset."

"You'd be upset too if the situation was reversed," Kensi said quietly.

"Yeah, you're right…" Callen glanced at his two junior team members and noted how tired they both looked. "Have you two been here all night?" he asked them. "You should go home and get some sleep…"

"We can stay with you until Sam gets back," Kensi said.

Callen couldn't help but smirk slightly. "I'm just going to go back to sleep. I probably don't need the two of you watching me. I really appreciate you looking out for me, but seriously, you should go."

"Are you sure?" Kensi asked, not looking as if she particularly believed him.

"I'm positive," Callen said. "Go, leave, I'm fine."

"Okay, you take it easy," Deeks said. "We'll check in with you tomorrow."

"Bye Callen," Kensi stood up, then leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Feel better."

"I will. See you soon."

xxxxx

If there were ever any doubts about how much Callen's team cared for him, they would have totally been dismissed by the end of his hospital stay. Once he had regained consciousness, he was only in the ICU for a day before being transferred to a regular room. Once there, he had a regular stream of visitors, bringing flowers, balloons, magazines, puzzle books, and other assorted gifts and treats. By the end of the week, his room resembled a small gift shop.

"How are you feeling today, Mr. Callen?" Hetty greeted him as she stepped into his room. "I brought you some of my homemade chicken soup." She placed the thermos she was carrying onto the nightstand by his bed.

"Thank you, Hetty," Callen said. "I'm doing well today. Doctor said I'm being released tomorrow."

"Well, you must be happy about that," Hetty said, giving him a fond smile.

"I am."

"And are you returning to your own home?" Hetty asked, unable to help being worried, even though she knew he was fully capable of taking care of himself. He deserved to have a little bit of TLC no matter how adverse he was to such a notion.

"He's coming home with me," Sam stated as he came into the room. "I actually wanted to talk to you about taking off a couple of weeks."

"Sam," Callen protested. "You've already taken off enough time this year…"

"That was bereavement leave, G…this is different."

"I can easily take care of that for you," Hetty said, very much onboard with Sam taking off time to care for his partner. She felt it would do them both good.

"Hetty," Callen gave her a pleading look. "I don't need Sam to be looking after me."

"I know that you don't think it's necessary for someone to care for you when you're sick, Mr. Callen," Hetty said, "But trust me, it is a very normal occurrence. Most people have someone help them out after they're released from the hospital. I, for one, would feel a great deal more at ease knowing that Mr. Hanna is there for you."

Callen looked from Hetty to his partner and rolled his eyes, but there was a slight smile on his lips. He knew when he was beaten and if he wanted to be totally honest about it, he knew he wouldn't mind staying with his partner. It would just seem sad since any time he had stayed with the Hanna family in the past, Michelle had always been there and had proven to be a very kind and capable nurse. He would definitely feel her absence and he knew Sam would too. However, he was also wise enough to know his own presence would likely do Sam some good. He was sure he was lonely now that Kam had gone off to school. It wasn't anything Sam had spoken about, but Callen was sure it was true. Maybe they'd be able to do each other some good.

xxxxx

"You ready to go, G?" Sam asked as he pushed the wheelchair into his partner's room. After what had been a rather painstaking process, Callen was dressed in loose sweatpants and a t-shirt, sitting on the edge of his bed and more than ready to leave the hospital.

"Definitely," Callen said with a nod as he slowly got to his feet and gingerly took a seat in the wheelchair. He made himself as comfortable as he could before Sam pushed him out of the room. A short time later, he was seatbelted beside his partner in the front seat of the Challenger.

"You sure you don't want to just drop me off at home?" Callen asked in a last ditch effort to just go home and be on his own.

"That doesn't even warrant an answer," Sam said as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot. "You're coming home with me and I don't want to hear another word about it."

"Can't blame a guy for trying," Callen said with a smirk.

After that, they rode in silence, each man caught up in his own thoughts. "You okay?" Callen asked, glancing at his partner. He wasn't used to long silences from Sam.

"Yeah, I'm fine…why?"

Callen shrugged. "Just not used to you being so quiet…"

"I'm just thinking."

Callen nodded and became silent once again, his thoughts on his own recovery and how long it might be. Luckily, his kidney function had returned fully, but he knew he had been extremely fortunate. It wasn't anything he thought about too often, you couldn't in their line of work, but the damage that a tiny bullet could inflict was really mind boggling. If the bullet had taken a different trajectory, the outcome of his being shot could have been entirely different. Overall, he knew he had been very lucky.

Finally, Sam pulled the Challenger into the driveway and got out of the car. He was over to Callen's side of the car before his partner even had his door open halfway. "You need help, G?" he asked .

"I'm alright," Callen said. He definitely felt pain as he got out of the car though and was huffing more than a little bit by the time they reached Sam's front door.

Sam gave Callen a concerned look as he unlocked the door then allowed his partner to step into the house first. "You want to lie down for a while?" he asked him. "Your room is all ready for you."

"I'll just sit in the living room for now," Callen said as he made his way into the living room and carefully sat on the sofa.

Sam sat down beside him and a silence once again crept up between them. "I know it's weird…" Sam finally commented quietly after a short while. "I feel it all the time. The quiet…the emptiness…"

"I'm sorry, Sam," Callen said. "I can only imagine what you're going through. I wish there was something I could do for you."

"There is," Sam said, shifting his position on the sofa so he could better look at his partner. "You do it every day. You've made it clear that you're always here for me. I know I can count on you or call you any time of the day or night. Those things mean a lot to me, G."

Callen nodded. He didn't feel like any of those things were really all that important, but if Sam said they helped him, he was glad to hear it. He was quickly beginning to tire now though. Just the drive home from the hospital had worn him out.

"Go lie down for a while," Sam said, noting Callen's heavy-lidded eyes.

"Yeah…that might not be a bad idea," Callen said with a wan smile. He couldn't deny what he was pretty sure was obvious. Wincing, he got himself up from the sofa and slowly started to walk towards Aiden's room, which was usually his home away from home when he stayed there. Sam watched his partner's slow, careful gait as he made his way to his son's room. He then went into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of cold water from the refrigerator and went to Aiden's room. Callen was already asleep, lying on top of the covers. Sam put the water on top of the bedside table and went to the closet where he got a blanket which he carefully covered his partner with. "Sleep well," he whispered before turning and leaving the room.

xxxxx

Callen only awoke briefly to have a light dinner, which Sam practically had to force on him, and then fell back asleep. He slept very restlessly, moaning in his sleep and tossing and turning. At about 2 a.m., Sam was awoken when he heard Callen screaming from a nightmare. As soon as Sam flicked the light switch on the wall, Callen immediately awoke. He looked at his partner in confusion.

"You okay?" Sam asked in a gentle tone as he approached Callen's bedside. "You were having a bad dream."

"I don't remember," Callen said. He tried to recall what he had been dreaming about, but it was just a blank. He grimaced as he made a move to sit up, but decided not to bother with the amount of pain the movement caused.

"You're not sleeping well," Sam stated knowingly. "You should have taken a pain killer before bedtime. It's best to try to keep ahead of the pain, G."

"Okay."

Sam smiled, not used to his partner being so cooperative, but wanting to take advantage of it as long as it lasted. "I'll go get them, be right back."

Sam went to get Callen a pain killer and a fresh bottle of cold water, both of which he handed to him when he returned to his room. "You good?" he asked, after Callen had swallowed the pill with some water.

"Yeah, thanks, Sam," Callen said, his eyes already beginning to close.

xxxxx

"Hey, G?" It was three days into Callen staying with Sam and so far things were going well. Sam was surprised at how uncomplaining his partner was being. Of course, Sam hadn't really pushed him into doing anything other than eating and taking his medicines. That was about to change.

"Yeah?" Callen was stretched out on the sofa, reading the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. "What's up?" he asked, looking up at Sam. "Oh." He sighed when he saw what Sam was holding, the breathing spirometer he was supposed to be using several times a day.

"Have you been using this thing?"

"Um…kinda?" Callen said, averting his eyes from Sam's gaze. Directly lying to his partner wasn't something he could really do.

Sam smiled as Callen looked at him in surprise.

"You think it's funny?" Callen asked warily.

Sam shook his head. "No, not at all, but you've been much too good since you've been here. To the point where I thought you'd been replaced by a clone."

"Very funny…You act like I never do what I'm supposed to do," Callen said with a put on hurt look which Sam didn't buy for a second.

"Hey, you're a grown man," Sam said, putting the spirometer on the coffee table by his partner. "If you don't care about getting pneumonia and taking even more time to recover, I guess I shouldn't care either. Now, I'm going to go make us some lunch. You can do what you like, G."

Callen watched as Sam left the room and sighed as he picked up the spirometer. He also grabbed a pillow from the top of the sofa and hugged it against his injured side, knowing this was going to hurt. He also knew Sam was right though. With a resigned sigh, he started doing his breathing exercises.

Sam, peeked into the room and gave a satisfied smile when he saw his partner doing as he was supposed to do. He then returned to the kitchen. He would make grilled cheese sandwiches. He knew G liked those.

xxxxx

It was the end of Sam's two week leave. He drove Callen home and carried his partner's bag into his house, despite Callen's protests. "Just let me do this, G," Sam said. "You'll be doing stuff for yourself after today." Sam was fighting against the almost physical ache he felt in his chest at bringing Callen home. He'd gotten used to having his partner staying with him and now, he'd be back to the long and lonesome nights, eating alone, watching television alone, sleeping in the empty house alone. Having Callen there had made a difference to him, just knowing he was in the house with him had made him feel much less lonely. Watching over his partner had given him purpose. He missed Michelle every day, but having Callen there had made those feelings just a little less intense.

"What's wrong, Sam?" Callen finally asked the question that he'd been afraid to ask all day. His partner had woken up solemn and appearing exceptionally emotional.

"Nothing," Sam said, unconvincingly.

"Come on, big guy. You can't fool me that easily."

"You're really going to make me say it?" Sam asked, his eyes full of emotion.

Callen shook his head slowly. "No…you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to…"

"I'm going to miss having your scrawny ass around my house, G, okay? I said it."

"Oh." Callen looked down at the floor, at a loss for words, before looking back at his partner once again. "It's not like I won't see you, Sam… We'll see each other…"

"Yeah, I know," Sam said, too quickly. "Forget I said anything."

"We can meet up for dinner, Sam, stuff like that. You're forgetting that I'm going to be alone too. All day long as a matter of fact. I'll be looking for company."

"We both know you're perfectly fine with being alone," Sam stated. He knew it wasn't a problem for his partner. He was used to it.

"Come on, Sam…what am I going to do, garden all day? Eat cookies with Mrs. Ramirez?" Callen asked.

"You like Mrs. Ramirez's cookies, G," Sam said, a trace of a smile on his lips.

"Okay, I admit I like the cookies, but even so, I'm sure that I'll be going stir crazy here. I can't even really work out for another three weeks and that's assuming the doctor clears me to do so. Anyhow, you can always invite me for dinner. Your cooking's not half bad, Sam." Callen grinned at his partner, trying hard to get him out of the mood he was in. He hated seeing him this way.

"Half bad…I noticed you ate pretty well most nights," Sam said, his smile widening. "Didn't hear you complaining at all."

"Of course not," Callen said. "I admit I can't cook, Sam. Your cooking outdoes mine any day."

"That doesn't take much," Sam teased. He then grew more serious. "Okay…if you don't need anything, I guess I'll get going. Call me if you need anything…anything at all, okay?"

Callen nodded, solemn now, as well. "You too. If you want to talk…you know where I am."

"I do. Thanks, G."

"Thank you, Sam. I appreciate you letting me stay with you and taking care of me…"

"I think it did more good for me than it did for you," Sam said. He then pulled his partner into a tight hug and patted his back gently before letting him go. "You take care of yourself, partner."

"You too."

xxxxx

Finally, after several more weeks of recovery time, Callen was returning to work. He grinned happily at his partner as he got into the passenger side of the Challenger. "Good morning, Sam."

"Good morning, G." Sam was as happy as Callen was that he was returning to work. They had seen each other often as Callen had recuperated, but it wasn't the same as having him there, every day. He'd alternated working with Nell, Deeks and Kensi during Callen's absence, which had been fine, but he needed his partner and was elated to have him back. "You feeling good?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling really good, Sam," Callen said.

They rode in companionable silence until Sam pulled the car up in front of OSP. Callen was first greeted by Kensi with a warm hug when he walked into the bullpen. "Welcome back. I missed you so much," she said.

"I missed you too, Kens," Callen said, returning her embrace. "It's good to be back."

"Welcome back, Callen," Deeks said, grinning at him. "It's good to see you."

Nell and Eric then entered the bullpen and welcomed him as well before Hetty came over, carrying a large cake-sized box. "Welcome back, Mr. Callen," she said, smiling at him. "In honor of your return, I've brought your favorite chocolate chip coffee cake from Stella's Bakery."

"Mmm…thank you, Hetty," Callen said, smiling down at her. "You definitely know what I like."

The team shared the coffee cake, as well as some quips and laughs, before Hetty went into boss mode. "Alright, everyone, time to get to work. We've plenty to do."

"Yeah, I imagine I have a ton of paperwork to catch up on," Callen said as he settled in at his desk.

"Actually, Mr. Callen, you don't." Hetty told him. "Your paperwork is all caught up."

"It is? It can't be," Callen said, giving Hetty a bewildered look.

"Well don't look at me," Hetty said with a shake of her head. "I certainly didn't do it for you. I would have let you drown in all the paperwork you've slacked off on."

"Sam?" Callen turned his attention to his partner who grinned at him.

"What can I say, G? I had some extra time without you being here, driving me to distraction."

Callen grinned back at his partner. "Thanks a lot, Sam."

"Welcome back, buddy."

xxxxx

And so equilibrium was restored to the team and things were once again back to normal.

One bullet…It had failed in its mission to destroy the team that day. Hopefully, future bullets aimed at them would fail in their missions as well.