It was getting dark as Chris Lille and Randall Hubbard pushed their shopping cart through the alley filled with trash as they picked through trash bins on their way toward the underpass they called home. They were only two of the multitudes of the homeless down on their luck in the neighborhood. These two men shared everything they found: every scrap of metal, every nickel on their bottle returns and anything else that cash was earned on.

Both men had served on the USS Ronald Reagan nine years ago. They had taken care of planes and all of the radar equipment of squadron VFA-4. Between the two, they never lost a plane. Some came back shot up, but never lost. After they were discharged both men came home to lower level jobs in the city that disappeared in the 2008 turndown. They returned to pain. Since then their lives had become a downward spiral: lost homes and cars, divorces, alienation from their children. The only place they felt at home was on the street and with each other.

Each man had been equally surprised to see the other living out there and so it came to be if you saw one scavenging, you saw the other as well. Good friends in the service turned into inseparable friends on the street.

Randall had just left Chris at the enclosure. He'd taken some of the money they'd earned that day to go around to the corner store to buy tea to help Chris with his chronic cough. Chris pulled the cart into their living area and turned his back to the street and proceeded to get the fire pit started. It was going down into the forties tonight and both men were beginning to feel the harsh reality of living outdoors. Arthritis and Chris' chronic cough had become his daily companions. Randall also felt muscle aches from sleeping on the damp ground. The fire in the pit they'd built for them and others who lived under the bridge was beginning to take hold.

Chris took the kettle from their cart, filled it with water from their water jug and placed it over the fire. He sat down next to the fire to wait for Randall. He'd found a copy of 'Coyote Waits' by Tony Hillerman in the dumpster of a book store on Delmont Avenue. The cover was gone but the rest of the book was there. He'd always liked stories about the west and stories about Native Americans especially, so he opened the book and began to read.

After ten minutes or so he heard a sound behind him, thinking it was Randall returning, he never looked. Something flew before his eyes and he began to choke. He fell backward as his book flew forward into the fire pit.

The tea water had just begun to boil when Randall entered their enclosure. At first he thought that Chris had fallen asleep. Then he went to shake his buddy and realized it was something more permanent. As he moved Chris he noticed a red line about his throat. Randall jumped back in shock, dropping the box of tea bags. He backed up and away from Chris and out of the enclosure, taking the shopping cart with him.

Randall Hubbard was an intelligent man but losing his friend was too much for him. He walked and walked and thought and thought. He must have walked ten blocks or more before he came to a pay phone. He'd decided to use the change that he and Chris had earned that day to call the Los Angeles Police Department and tell them where he had found a body: the body of his best friend. Randall gave them all the information they'd need except his name. He felt like a heel leaving Chris that way but he knew he was next. Everyone of their group in Iraq had died except for him and George Lange. Someone was after them.

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The mission this morning was bustling as Sam sat at his desk finishing paperwork for the last case that he had worked on. His partner was late and he wanted to know why. It was his first day back in two months from being almost killed by a crazy bioterrorist. Callen had been sorely missed by Sam.

Callen sauntered past Sam's desk to his own as if he didn't have a care in the world. He opened his bag and removed his computer and placed it on his desk. As he opened the computer he caught Sam watching his every move. He grinned and knew deep down that Sam wanted to know about his homecoming and the big date with Sara. "What's up Big Guy?"

Sam chuckled. "You know what's up. How'd the date with Sara go last night?" Sam waited for an answer and when on didn't come he pushed for information. "You'd been away what, two months? Where did you end up going? Montmarte, I know you like that place?" Sam's face showed the intense need for information.

Callen smiled a distant smile and drifted away in his own thoughts about how the evening went. Not everything needed to be shared with his partner. He came back from his thoughts to answer his partner. "Sorry Big Guy, we stayed home with the kids after all; just like I wanted."

Sam looked across the bullpen to see if Callen was yanking his chain and by the look in his partner's eyes he knew his partner spoke the truth and he began to laugh. "You almost die from a deadly disease and you don't go out on a date with your beautiful wife?" Sam took another moment to think and began to nod. "I understand G. If it had been me I probably would have done the same. Welcome back Partner!" He got up and came around to Callen's desk and gave him a ferocious man hug. Even though he'd been back and forth to Georgia he'd missed G and was glad he had returned healthy and in one piece. "You okay to work? You got all your doctors approval to be here? What did Nate say?"

Callen just let out a small laugh. "Don't worry Sam all the doctors have given me the green light, even Nate. Did you know he spent several days with me in Georgia?"

Sam was happy that Hetty had listened and Nate had gone. "Glad to hear it. You were going through a tough patch. You okay now?

Callen just nodded. He heard a commotion in the front hallway and knew the other members of the team were coming in.

Kensi and Deeks came through the front door of the mission and noticed their team leader had returned. Kensi, with a big smile, walked to her desk, dropped her bag and proceeded to hug Callen. Deeks strode to his desk and flashed his megawatt smile of welcome to G across the aisle. No words were needed amongst this team.

Hetty came to the doorway of the bullpen. "Welcome back Mr. Callen. You've been missed by everyone here. Now up to OPS. It seems we have a case."

Callen looked up at the Operation Manager and gave her an interested ear. "What's going on Hetty?"

Hetty gave one of her most enigmatic smiles and started walking away. "What and deprive Mr. Beale of his moment?" She turned to him and gave another of her wily grins. "Really Mr. Callen."

Everyone raced past G as he stood watching some of the most important people in his life. Yes it was good to be back and no, he didn't want to deprive Eric of his moment of fame.