Notes: Thanks for taking the time to look over my story.

This is the latest of my stories based in my "Sacrifice" series.

Based on timing throughout and between, from my other stories.. this should take place round about Christmas 2017. But I don't specifically reference the actual year in the story

I would also like to thank everyone who has left comments, reviews, comments or favourite any of my stories/chapters, they have been greatly appreciated, as has that fact that you have chosen to read any of my fics.

I hope you enjoy it.

I do NOT own NCIS:Los Angeles or any of its Characters. I'm just borrowing them

Callen's Story

December 22nd

Walking into their bedroom, Callen stood in the doorway, finding himself, as he so often was, distracted by the sight of his wife.

Thinking back to how his life used to be… when it was just work, casual sex and tinkering with the toaster… it seemed wonderful. Now, he had a wife, still had the job, close friends (that he would describe as family), and a home… and he wouldn't trade any of it, especially not his wife, for all the casual sex or money in the world.

Watching her now, even as she was recovering from some 'bug' that was going around… he could still see the confidence and strength that he had noticed in her, years ago. That she still retained those qualities after everything she had seen, and done, and been forced to experience, continued to amaze him

"Are you just going to stand there watching me?" Nell asked, as she pulled on a pair of socks

"and what if I am?"

Nell turned and glared at him

"Okay, okay. Do you want a mug of coffee, or the bottle of pepto-bismol"

"The pepto, please" she answered, briefly flashing a smile

"If you're still not well, you should just stay home… I'm sure Kensi can manage by her self"

"I'm going to work G. Besides, I have my physical booked for this afternoon, and I still need to post the presents for my parents"

"There's no point arguing with you, is there?"

"Nope. I thought you knew that already" she replied, with a cheeky smirk

Callen walked over and handed her the bottle of Pepto, and leaned over to kiss her cheek

"I'll see you tonight, then. I'll text you and let you know If I'm gonna be home late"

….

"Hey, G!" Sam called out, as he saw Callen walk past the bullpen "Michelle wants to know if you and Nell are still coming over for Christmas Dinner. So she knows what size turkey to buy"

"We're still coming. So long as Nell's feeling a bit better. I got to go… but I'll catch up with you later, okay" he replied as he continued walking

….

"What've you got for us, Eric?" Callen asked, once he saw Eric was finished on the phone

"a Road trip. We received a report about a murdered Naval officer in Kingman, Arizona. Lieutenant Rico was assigned to BUMED, developing treatments to combat weaponised biological agents"

"We gonna have any support?"

"Not for at least 18 hours"

"Right. Transfer the info onto the phones, and tablet. And keep me updated on when support will arrive"

Turning his attention to Ruth, Callen instructed her to grab her go-bag, and meet him down at the car

….

"A word with you, before you depart Mr Callen"

'What have I done now' Callen wondered to himself

"Yes, Hetty?" He asked as he followed the little ninja into her office

"I thought you would like to know that Janvier died late last night"

Callen didn't know how to respond. He was thankful that he was dead, but part of him couldn't really believe it unless he saw him with his own two eyes

"Assistant Director Granger, and Mr Hanna will be personally going to identify the body"

"Can you let me know for certain once they've viewed the body?"

"I will. Now turn your attention back to your assigned task"

….

"Why are we being sent to Arizona?"

"We're the closest unit, and at the moment, we have more agents, than we have cases"

The two agents remained quiet for the next few hours, instead listening to the radio.

"So, you got plans for Christmas? Maybe go home, see your folks" Callen asked

"It's only me and my dad. But he…. Well, he suffers from dementia, doesn't even know who I am. He's in a care home, and I go see him every weekend. So my big plans will probably amount to me ordering some Chinese and watching a film on TV"

"I'm sorry to hear that. Must be tough for you… seeing someone you care about deteriorating before your eyes"

"It used to be. I mean it's still hard to watch… but he still looks like my dad, and every now and again he has these brief moments of being lucid, where he's my dad again" she paused, trying to strengthen the 'walls' that threatened to collapse after talking about her father "What about you, Sir, any plans?"

"Nell and I are just gonna be spending time together, and then having Christmas dinner with family"

….

Having been to the local ME, and checked everything that had been found on the Lieutenant's body, the pair had found a key card in his jacket, with a label stuck to it with an address printed on it…

Since the local PD hadn't done anything to investigate since reporting the case to NCIS, this left Callen and Ruth to check the property themselves, after discovering that the Lieutenant hadn't been staying in town.

….

"This sure doesn't look like a laboratory" Ruth commented as they both climbed out of the car.

The building appeared to be a barn, built from timber. The only indication that suggested that there was more going on, was the CCTV cameras visible hanging from each corner, and the electronic keypad next to the only door

"No it doesn't. But he was in possession of a key card, which would suggest that he had been here"

"Should I grab my vest?" asked Ruth, still trying to get a sense for when it was and wasn't suitable to wear the vest

"It's up to you. But I think we'll be okay without." He replied, walking over to the door and the keypad.

It was a simple digital lock/keypad… 12 buttons, and a slot that he assumed was for the card

"You ready?" he asked, as he drew his weapon

Ruth simply nodded, and likewise drew her own weapon

….

Having used the key card and opened the door, Callen and Ruth walked inside, through a pair of doors, closing the second door behind then, and then taking in what they saw.

The barn may have looked basic from the outside, but inside it was very modern. Stainless steel work tops, plastic containment boxes, rubber gloves, air filtration equipment and numerous large compressed air canisters.

The pair walked further into the building, looking for anyone who may have been there, and looking for clues

"Callen… I think we have a problem!"

"What?"

"These canisters are open…. And they have bio hazard labels on them. We need to get out of here"

"Yes. We do. But we don't know what is or was in those canisters, and what, if anything, we've been exposed to"

Ruth watched as Callen calmly pulled out his phone, dialled a number and lifted it to his ear. She had no idea how he could be so calm right now… she was freaking out, and he was as relaxed as she would have been after a full body massage.

"Eric. We need a biological containment and decontamination team to my location, and agents to pick up the investigation. Urgently"

[…]

"Fill Hetty in, and get back to me once you know what's happening"

….

"What's gonna happen to us?"

"When the containment and decon guys get here, they'll secure the property, then transfer us from the building to a transport, and have us transferred to a decontamination facility where we'll be checked to make sure we haven't been infected with anything"

"What if we have been infected with something?"

"It's nothing to worry about. They'll take blood samples, inspect here to see if they can find what we could have been contaminated with, and then they can administer treatments if necessary"

"How the fuck can you be so calm and collected about this?" she demanded

"You've had inoculations against a number of infections when you joined the agency, we all have. This isn't the first time I've been in this situation… you just need to trust that you're in good hands"

He could see that this was not helping the younger agent cope with the situation

"Look, I hate hospitals and doctors… I just barely tolerate them in extreme situations. If we are infected with something, it's probably not something that we can recover from ourselves. You know how I told you I had died? Well I was declared dead while i was on assignment overseas. When I managed to be recovered, and had been checked to make sure I was who I said I was, I had to be checked out to make sure I hadn't picked up any local diseases, or been exposed to anything. When you get that clean bill of health… it's one of the best things you can hear. So seriously, Try not to freak out"

….

"Can I just make a phone call before you take us? I'll be really quick" Callen pleaded

"Make it quick!" the surly doctor replied, stepping back to give Callen some space

Callen had to take a deep breath to help psyche himself up for this phone call. He had messed up the last time he had been infected by something by not telling Nell as soon as it happened… but things were different now, they were not just dating, they were married. And the last thing he wanted to do was upset or worry her.

But he had made a promise… He dialled her number and lifted the phone to his ear, hoping that she wouldn't answer, that he wouldn't have to tell her.

*Ring*

'Please don't answer'

*Ring*

'Just let it go to voicemail'

*Ring*

'Don't make me say this'

When that recoded message started playing, Callen could honestly say he had never been more relieved

"I just wanted to let you know that something's happened. I'm okay… I just won't be home tonight. I'll try to call you back later and hear how you got on with the doctor. Love you"

'Why did I say 'love you' like I'm never gonna see or speak to her again'

….

"…You planning on leaving any blood in my body?" asked Callen

"You know that we have to do this. There is procedure to follow Agent Callen. We just need one more vial, and then we'll leave you alone"

"Can you at least tell me when I can get my phone back?. My wife worries"

"You can get all your property back once you've been cleared, and it's been disinfected. I'm sure your agency can inform your family about your situation" the nurse replied.

'So much for doctors and nurses needing to have a good bedside manor' he thought to himself

….

"Do you mind if I ask something?"

Callen found himself being a little startled at hearing Ruth talk. There had been next to no talking or discussion other than when the doctor or nurses came to do tests or collect samples

"Sure… So long as you're not planning on asking how young agents I've killed" He joked

"Why did you seem so … stressed, when you tried calling your wife?. You said that this was just a risk of the job, wouldn't she know that?. Tell me to mind my own business if you like"

"Yeah, it is a risk of the job. It's just that… I was injected with something while working a case a few years ago. I almost killed me, and I didn't tell her, what had happened, when it happened… I didn't want to worry or upset her, and thought it would be better to not tell her that something had happened, unless I knew that it was something bad. I ended up almost losing her. I sounded stressed, because I was… I never want to worry or upset her, but I know better than to lie to her. And phoning a loved one to tell them that you could be dying, should make even the most confident person, more than a little stressed" he paused to let her digest his words. "Now, let me ask you a question. Why did you apply to join NCIS, why not the LAPD or FBI, and don't give me the reason you put on your application?"

"LAPD wasn't hiring. Well that's part of it. My dad was a sailor for a number of years, but was accused of an assault while on leave. To hear him tell the story, the only reason that he got discharged from the navy rather than locked up, was because of the investigating NIS agent. When I saw NCIS was taking applications, it seemed like a way of giving back, and possibly being able to make the same difference for serving Navy and Marine personnel"

"That's better than what I put on my application"

"What did you say on yours?"

….

December 23rd

"We've got your results back. We now know what you've been exposed to, and we do have a treatment" the doctor informed them over the intercom, from behind the glass

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming"

"Well, yes, there is a but… we have a treatment, but the treatment causes some irreversible problems…."

"Like what?" Demanded Ruth, not giving the doctor or the nurse a chance to finish talking

….

"Just take the inoculation" Ruth urged "I've taken it… it doesn't hurt"

"I am taking nothing, not until I speak to my wife…"