Author's Notes: A little tag for "Red, Part 1", Episode 4x18, but set early in Sam and G's partnership.

I own very little and absolutely nothing related to NCIS:LA.

"I used to work alone," said Callen.

"You miss it?" asked Paris.

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"Callen!" The agent's head snapped up, looking for danger. He never saw it.

Callen grunted as a weight like a freight train drove into his back, forcing him to the ground. The wall where his head had been exploded into dust and shrapnel under the fury of automatic weapons fire. Callen tried to raise up and return fire, but the weight on his back was immoveable.

When the storm of bullets stopped a few seconds later and the other agents called out the all clear, the mountain finally rolled off of him. Callen jumped to his feet, something like fury filled his face.

"What the hell was that, Hanna?" The big man regarded him with incredulity.

"You were right in their line of fire!"

"What? You didn't think I'd see it?" challenged Callen.

"I wasn't going to take the chance you wouldn't," answered Hanna.

The ex-SEAL tilted his head, regarding the short blonde. Special Agent G Callen had a reputation. Everyone said he was an incredible undercover agent. Unmatched. Those same people said he was icy, unsociable. An impossible partner. He preferred to work alone and ensured that he did by not playing well with others. Sam could attest to all of it. Callen wasn't exactly rude, but he definitely wasn't friendly. Sam could work with someone who lacked personality.

That wasn't the problem. Trust was.

Callen seemed incapable of trust. His blue eyes narrowed every time Sam invited him over for dinner, offered to pick him up for work. Hell, bringing Callen coffee was met with all the thanks and warmth of an unmarked envelop filled with unidentified powder.

Sam didn't know what to do. He was used to being part of a team. SEALs rarely worked alone, relied on each other like family, trusted like brothers. All he got from Callen was suspicion and wisecracks and it was getting old.

"I've been an agent for a while now, I think I can take care of myself," snapped Callen.

"That's your problem, G." Something like shock flashed across Callen's face before his cold mask slipped into place.

"Please, tell me about my problem."

"We are partners! You don't have to take care of yourself!" shouted Sam. "It is just as much my job to take care of you. And I will, G, I will do my job and watch your back no matter how much you suck at it. No matter how you fight it. 'Cause we could be an amazing partnership and I am going to prove it to you." Callen's brow was furrowed and all his anger seemed to have vanished.

"You called me 'G'." Now it was Sam's turn to look perplexed.

"Yeah. It's your name, right?"

"It just..." Callen shook his head softly before meeting Sam's eyes. "It never sounded right when anyone else said it." For a moment the ice was gone and Callen looked...lonesome. It was a flash and then gone, but Sam had seen it. He'd seen his new partner for the first time.

"Look," said Callen briskly, clearly ready to move on. "I know I'm not easy to work with. But I don't suck at the job. And I'll watch your back, too. You can trust me to do it."

"I don't think I'm the one with a trust issue, G," said Sam softly.

"Yeah, well, it comes with the package."

"Clearly." And then Sam smiled. "But I can work with it." Callen's smirk turned into a grin as he walked away.

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"I work alone now."

"I used to work alone," said Callen.

"You miss it?" asked Paris.

"Not since I've been with the big fella. It's good to have a partner."