DISCLAIMER: This is for the entire story... so please read carefully. I love these characters. They are a blast to write for... but I do not own them... sadly they are not mine... EXCEPT for JESS... she is my character one hundred percent. I am merely borrowing the rest to my own amusement. Thank you.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, it's been a while since I have published anything new. A lot has been going on and while I have enough thoughts and ideas for several stories... I'm missing key components to make it happen. This one just kind of fell into place this week. There will be a few more to go along with this one in the near future. At least I hope it's near. Anyway... a lot depends on how many reviews I get. Doesn't seem to be a lot going on in the world of fanfiction these days. As much as I love to write and post these... if you don't have the readers... why do it? Let me know your thoughts... no pressure. Hope you like. And when I say review... keep corrections constructive... mean don't do it.

Roberta watched as the four-member team sat at the back of the bar letting off steam from their latest case.

It had been a long road but they were once again unified. Though Callen still struggled with trusting anyone to have his back, he seemed to have settled once again into life with a team.

"I'm telling you right now, Callen, with all due respect, Sam has you on this one." Deeks grinned across the table as his wife spoke up next.

"Are you kidding me? Callen was 100% spot on. You'd have to be blind not to see it! Sorry, Sam. I call 'em as I see 'em."

Callen and Sam exchange amused glances as they each took a swig of their beer, allowing the younger team members to banter on.

"Are you calling me a brown-noser, Deeks? Callen, are you going to… Callen?" Kensi called before realizing his attention was now elsewhere and followed his line of sight.

He watched as a young woman entered the building and began to look around before approaching the bar.

"Could you tell me where I might find G Callen?" she asked Roberta.

"Who's doing the asking?" Roberta challenged guardedly.

Before she could answer the woman, a familiar voice came from behind, "He's right here."

With a sobered look she turned, pulling out her gun as she did.

Callen heard the chairs behind him shift and he held his hand up to halt what he knew was happening without even looking.

Lowering their guns in stunned silence they continued to stand, ready to defend their friend if need be.

Callen eyed the woman and with a smirk, "You keep pulling that gun on me every time we cross paths… blabbering on about how much you've been wanting to shoot me… I'm beginning to doubt your commitment. Go ahead, pull the trigger."

Hearing the breath sucked in by those behind them as once again their guns raised, she responded in kind. "What, and waste a perfectly good bullet on the invincible G Callen?"

Exchanging confused looks, the team lowered their weapons just as Roberta surprised them all by plopping her shot gun onto the bar top.

"Ma!" Deeks called out as she shrugged, returning her sights back to the strange newcomer.

"G"? Sam asked, going ignored.

"So how are you G?" the woman asked with a smile, tucking her gun away.

"Fine…and you?"

"Oh, you know, agency surfing," came the reply.

"Who was it this time?" Callen asked, oblivious to the world around them.

"CIA, but after you left the blackguard, well, let's just say, it's gotten a bit chilly… so I left."

"You just left, interesting… so what brings you here?"

"Really want me sharing that in front of your friends here?" she asked, her brow raised.

Sam and the younger counter parts stared on in concern.

Callen's eyes lit up as he smirked, "Fine, Roberta, can we please have a couple beers over there?" Callen pointed to a table in the far corner of the bar.

Finally, looking back at his friends he gave a nod, making no move to introduce the young woman as he escorted her to the table he'd just referenced.

They had just slid into their seats as Roberta brought their drinks out, "Callen, I was making sandwiches for the four of you when your company arrived. I can make a fifth if you care to tell me what you like," Roberta stared the young woman down curiously.

Callen grinned as he ducked his head slightly while casting a quick look across the table.

The look wasn't missed and she answered with a smile, meeting the older woman's gaze, "I'm fine, thank you… Roberta, is it?"

She didn't reply but the look she gave intensified to the point Callen interrupted, "It's okay, Roberta, we're… friends…"

"You sure about that?" Roberta smirked at Callen's reserved and rather vague reference. "Fine." With that she turned and walked away, taking sandwiches to the other table.

"Well, ma… who is she?" Deeks quizzed.

"No idea… but he definitely knows her." Roberta answered.

"She give you a name?"

"Nope"

"He didn't seem threatened so I don't think we have anything to worry about." Sam offered.

Deeks and Kensi shared a look that said neither believed that was Sam's true feelings on the matter.

****NCIS LA **** NCIS LA **** NCIS LA **** NCIS LA **** NCIS LA **** NCIS LA **** NCIS LA

"Okay, we're safely tucked away from prying ears… care to share why you are really here?" Callen asked, offering half of his sandwich, which she gratefully accepted.

"I remember a few other times you shared what little you had with me," she smiled before sobering at the memory.

Callen's smile faded, "What's going on Jess? Why are you here... really?"

"He's out…" she whispered, confusing Callen.

"Who is out?" he asked, his mind going back over past cases.

"Frank Rayburn, Callen… he's out."

"Frank? How? I didn't know he was up for parole." Callen replied, shocked at the news. He made it a point to be at every parole board hearing to make sure the guy never saw the light of day again as a free man.

"He wasn't, it was a prison transfer… he escaped."

"How?"

"I'm not entirely certain and as far as I can tell, it doesn't really matter. The point is, he is out there and he made you a promise that one day we would pay for his going to prison." She stated in way of warning.

"Relax. He'd have to find us first… and we don't exist." Callen took a bite of his sandwich, wishing he felt as confident as he sounded.

"I know you, G, Callen… you are every bit as concerned as I am… undoubtedly more for my sake than your own… but he swore to find YOU. The day he was sentenced, I heard the people at the orphanage talking. He swore he'd find you and make you pay. You know as well as I do, that he meant every word of it."

"Yes, I'm sure he did," Callen replied. When he heard the frustrated sigh, he put his sandwich on the plate, took a quick drink before he continued, wiping his hands and mouth on his napkin, "Okay, fine. Let's say he has truly held onto that grudge… over a kid. Don't you think his first priority would be to disappear and not get caught?

"Why are you being so damn glib?" she demanded, her voice raising, "You haven't changed a bit… still bullheaded as ever!"

Callen grabbed her wrist just as she stood to leave, garnering looks from the others in the bar.

"Jess, wait a second," Callen started. "For one, I'm not bull headed… I'm selective."

She lost at her attempt to not smile as her scowl slid away and she rolled her eyes, "Selective, huh? I see… and two?"

Callen returned the smirk and motioned for her to take her seat… "Two… I take this very seriously. But I cannot afford to lose my head over this. The team would insist on getting involved.

"And that's a bad thing? Why?" Jess asked, confused.

Callen sighed, "because, we've had some… issues in the past and they are finally resolving. It's best not to stir things up with yet another idiot from my past."

"Stir things up… aren't you a team? And isn't it the job of teammates to have each other's backs, no matter what?" she asked, no less confused and more than a little concerned about these people, he called his team. She had just watched as they rose up to protect him. Even the woman running the bar had his back. She simply could not understand why he was trying to prevent their involvement in the matter.

"Just trust me on this… at least for now."

Leaning back in her seat, she let out a soft sigh. "Fine… for now… but G, this man is not to be under estimated. He hates you. He hated you as a kid, and trust me, it's only grown stronger."