"Joelle? Sam, I…" Michelle shook her head, stunned at the story her husband had just relayed to her. "I just don't understand how this could have happened… She always seemed to be so sweet…"

"Sweet is not a word I'd use to describe her now," Sam said. He was still shocked by what had been revealed to them earlier that day. "She's anything but sweet…"

"At least they're not together anymore," Michelle said. "It could have been a lot worse."

"It's still bad," Sam said, shaking his head. "And G said it to me, that we're the ones that introduced her to him…"

She wanted to say it wasn't their fault, but she felt the guilt as well. Callen was right. They'd set the whole thing up, the whole blind date ruse which had seemingly gone better than they could have hoped for at the time. Of course, looking back, all of Joelle's sad stories of being lonely and how there just weren't any good guys around anymore had been so transparent. Michelle had fallen into the trap Joelle had laid out and delivered Callen right into her clutches. "How…how is he?" she asked.

"He's angry, upset. How else would he feel after being betrayed that way?" Sam asked. He was angry as well, angry at Joelle, angry at Michelle and angry at himself for being so stupid and bringing G into the whole situation. He remembered how reluctant his partner had been that day. He'd been suspicious about why Sam and Michelle had wanted him to go out with them and had resisted every step of the way. Sam had done everything he could think of to force him to agree. Now he wished he'd let Callen off the hook, but he supposed Joelle would have found another way to get together with him. It had all been an elaborate scheme and the outcome was likely inevitable. He just didn't like being duped the way he had been.

"He'll be okay, Sam," Michelle said. "He's upset now, but he's strong. He'll get over it."

"Yeah…yeah, I know he will," Sam said, leaning his head back against the top of the sofa. "I just wish he didn't have to."

"You should check on him," Michelle urged. "Go, Sam. Make sure that he's alright."

"I don't think he really wants to see me right now," Sam said.

"Maybe not, but go anyway, Sam…just to be sure…"

xxxxx

"Oh baby, do you have any idea how scared I was?" Deeks asked, brushing Kensi's hair back from her face with his hands. He had lost count of how many times he had looked her over, ensuring to himself that she was safe and he'd gotten her back. "How scared and angry and just plain crazed I was when I thought you could be hurt or…" He shook his head, not even wanting to say the words. Kensi was fine. She was right there with him, safe on the sofa in their home.

"I'm sorry, Deeks…I am so sorry." Kensi wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him tightly, never wanting to let him go. "I hate that you had to go through that."

"You're the one that went through hell, sweetheart. You don't have anything to be sorry for…I'm just glad that…that freak… that despicable bastard is dead." He only wished he could kill him again for what he had put her through. Deeks clung to her, as tightly as she was holding onto him. He was just so grateful that the team had found her in time. "The whole thing was just so surreal. I still can't even believe everything that happened…"

"I know…" Kensi said, leaning into him, just wanting to feel his warmth and his arms wrapped around her. Tonight, especially, he made her feel very loved and very safe. "I still can't believe what you told me about Joelle…"

"That was a shocker for sure," Deeks said. "I don't think any of us could believe it and Callen…man, he was just blindsided."

"I can't even imagine…" Kensi said, shaking her head.

The two were silent for a bit, just taking comfort in being together . After a short while, Deeks spoke. "Are you hungry?" he asked softly, as he pulled back and gazed into her beautiful eyes…eyes which still totally intrigued and captivated him, even after being with her for so long . "I can make you something…anything you want."

"No, no I'm good," Kensi laughed.

"But seriously, Kensi, you should eat. I know you don't really think it's important, and you might not feel like it, but…"

"Okay, okay Deeks, I'll eat if it will make you happy," Kensi said. She'd had a very bad day, but she almost thought it had been worse for him, having to worry about her, not knowing if she was alive or dead, not knowing where she was or if they would find her in time to save her. She knew how she would have felt if their roles had been reversed. "I don't want you to cook though. I want you to just stay here where you can hold me, okay? Just get something delivered, anything you want. I don't care what."

"Okay, we can do that," he said, leaning towards her to kiss her. "I'm just so thankful that you're okay…you just can't know."

"I think I do know, Deeks," Kensi said softly. "I'm just so happy that you found me and that we're here together and that everything's okay… I thank God that this whole thing is finally over with…"

"Me too baby," Deeks said, pulling her close to him once again. "Me too…"

xxxxx

Finally, he was finished.

Exhausted, Callen slumped down to the floor with his back against the wall as he looked at the remnants of the dining room table which Joelle had given to him. There were tiny pieces of splintered wood scattered everywhere and a fine layer of sawdust covered his clothing, the wood and the floor.

"Damn you, Joelle!" he shouted. He put his hand over his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his fingers, trying to massage away the pounding headache he had developed. He hated this…he had trusted her completely…a schoolteacher, seemingly so loving and good-natured. People had entrusted their innocent children into her care. And now…who knew what she was capable of. She had almost killed Hetty, for God's sake and she had known how important Hetty was to him, how much that would have hurt him. He never would have suspected her of this, not in a million years. "How could you have…" he asked softly. "How?"

"G?!"

Callen took a deep breath and sighed heavily as he heard Sam enter his house. "I do have a doorbell you know," he stated as Sam walked into the room.

"Wow…" Sam looked down at the colossal mess that had once been the dining room. "You've really done a job in here, G…"

"What do you want, Sam?" Callen asked, leaning his head back against the wall, with his eyes shut, the very picture of exhaustion.

"I don't want anything, G," Sam said softly. "I'm just checking on you, making sure you're okay."

"I'm fine."

Sam shook his head. "No… No, you're not."

Callen rolled his eyes. He loved his partner like a brother, but this was not the time. He didn't want to talk to him. "Sam…this afternoon you asked me if I wanted to talk…what did I say?"

"You said you didn't want to…"

"Well, that hasn't changed, Sam. Besides, you were glad that I didn't want to talk earlier."

"Wait a minute, G," Sam said defensively as he shook his head. "I only meant that I was glad because you never want to talk about anything. If you had, I would have been worried about you."

Callen got up off the floor and stared at his friend. "Well then you still don't have to worry because I still don't want to talk about it. I'm good, Sam…Now will you please go? Go home to your wife…to your family."

Just the way he said it, the tone in his voice and the look in his eyes told Sam everything he needed to know about the way his partner was feeling. "I'm sorry, G…about all of it…"

Callen swallowed hard and nibbled on his inner lip, as he tried to keep his emotions in check. "It wasn't your fault, Sam… I don't blame you."

"Maybe you don't, but I blame me," Sam said. He prided himself on being able to watch his partner's back, to protect him from harm. Knowing he had played a part in causing him pain wasn't something he could easily put behind him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Sam, okay?"

Sam realized he wasn't accomplishing anything by being there. Callen wasn't going to talk about this, at least not now, maybe not ever. "All right, G… Try to get some rest, okay?" He put his hand on the other man's shoulder and squeezed it supportively. "You take care of yourself and if you change your mind…"

"I know, Sam…thank you."

With one last look at his friend, Sam headed out of the house and back to his Challenger. At least this day was finally over with. At least the moles had finally been revealed and now they could begin to heal.