A.N Thank you for all the reviews and favorites to this story, well this is it folks the last in this 'short' story. I hope you all like it.

Disclaimer, I made it all the way to the house, but he released the hounds! so nope still not mine...off to finish another story and plan another cunning plan!

Chapter 3

2006

Settling in at the DEA had been a breeze for Callen, his current boss had been all right about him being a floater for different teams and letting him do undercover work. He had been here three years he had turned down the various offers he had been given for a partner and had just stormed out of the office as Robert Simmons sighed and picked up the phone.

"I don't know how much longer we can keep him." He said, "Callen is an excellent Agent our closure rate is excellent, but having him refuse, yet again to work with a partner…I'm sorry Hetty but I think it may be time for him to move."

"Thank you for keeping me informed, I may have a vacancy that will suit our Mr. Callen." Hetty said and put the phone down.

Callen walked into a diner on Venice beach and sat in a back booth and ordered coffee.

He was surprised when the server brought his coffee and a pot of tea plus a full breakfast.

"Didn't order tea or the food." He said grumpily clasping the coffee mug. He jumped slightly as the small woman from the airport slid into the booth.

"I ordered the tea Mr. Callen and you don't eat properly, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Going somewhere?" She asked looking pointedly at his bedroll and bag.

"Just between apartments, I'm not coming back to the CIA." He said stabbing at a stack of pancakes with his fork.

"That's good; I don't work for them anymore." Hetty smiled, "I am however recruiting for a new position within NCIS."

Callen looked at her; He had quit his job yesterday. Did the woman know that and if so how?

"And you want me?" He asked keeping his opinions guarded.

"It would be working undercover. It will be under the auspices of 'special projects' things that fall outside of the main NCIS remit."

"I don't wanna live in Washington, it's too cold." Callen grumbled and Hetty laughed.

"Just for you then we will base it here in Los Angeles." She told him.

He knew she was joking and he smiled, he had seen her about over the years and her reputation was fierce but whenever they had crossed paths, she had always been somewhat motherly towards him. He figured she had done her homework on him, especially since she wanted to recruit him and for some reason he never seemed to mind.

"You running this show?" Callen asked.

"Heavens No! Mr. Callen, the department will be run by a Lara Macy." She told him.

"Great, I've heard of her she had some dealings with Gibbs, and ex-marine military police." He told her.

"Come and meet her see what you think, There are even a few hotels with vacancies nearby" Hetty offered.

"OK" Callen shrugged non-committally. He knew last time he had gone somewhere with her it had worked out pretty well as they walked out of the diner and got into her car he turned to her. "So still not a cop then?"

She laughed and shooed him into the car.

They pulled up outside a warehouse and she rang a bell and an elevator was lowered.

"This is it?" He asked the building looked like it was on the verge of collapse. Except for the camera on the outside of the building.

Callen helped close the elevator shutters as Hetty pressed a button.

The elevator opened on a suite of offices and Lara Macy leant against a wall and straightened up as the car came into view.

"Hetty." She said.

"Ms. Macy, this is Mr. Callen."

"Just Callen." He said extending a hand to her.

She raised an eyebrow but said nothing, "Callen, Hetty says you are thinking of joining our little band." She smiled.

"How many people do you have working for you?" Callen asked.

"A small support staff a psychologist and two agents, three if you join." Lara said and offered him a coffee and Hetty a pot of tea.

"Thanks," Callen said as he took the coffee. "How do you know how I take my coffee?" He asked.

"Gibbs." She replied, "And he says take the job. It's about time you settled down and also to call home."

Callen smirked over the years Gibbs had become a surrogate father to him.

He picked up his phone and sent a text.

Lara looked at him. "You should know your texts in this building will be read."

Callen smirked as Lara's phone rang.

"Macy?" She said. "Yes Eric I know a text was sent from an unregistered phone in the building…It's fine. What did it say?" She asked hoping to impress Callen but was confused by Eric's answer.

"I'm sorry?" She turned to Callen there must be a mistake in your file. I was under the impression you had no family.

Callen's defenses slammed up, "I don't?" Then he figured it out and smirked, "You read my text?"

"Yes?"

Callen showed Hetty the text; it read 'Thanks Dad on it! G.'

"So you are taking the job?" Lara asked.

"Gibbs trusts you that's good enough for me." Callen said.

2009

Gibbs and Callen sat on a bench looking out at the Pacific Ocean; Callen had received a call from Gibbs the day before about the case Gibbs' team was working on and Gibbs had given the younger man the heads up that he was coming out to work on a case with his team.

"So how ya been?" Gibbs asked looking at the younger man, "Still moving around."

Callen smiled "You know me…a rolling stone."

"Macy's been looking for you." Gibbs told him.

"I'll be there, but I like to keep her on her toes." Callen said.

"Still got your shadow?" Gibbs asked.

A slight frown crossed his face, "Not so much as I've gotten older, although every once in a while I think someone's keeping tabs on me."

Gibbs said nothing he just sat there watching the man he had come to think of as a son. "I tried looking for you but got shut down. It is strange but then what past of your life isn't."

Callen nodded in agreement.

After a few moments watching the scenery they resumed their conversation and Callen and Gibbs parted ways for their respective parts in the operation.

Three days later.

Callen was lying in a hospital bed having been shot five times in a drive by shooting.

Hetty stormed into Lara Macy's office.

"You're done here." She said with a quiet deadly voice.

"I'm not responsible for this." Macy said defending herself.

"Callen told you he thought he was being followed and you didn't tell him to move or check his theory."

"Why would I?" Macy asked.

"Ms. Macy I have spent more time than I care to admit making sure Mr. Callen grows up safe. You put years of work in jeopardy." Macy was concerned she had known Hetty for years and had never seen her so angry.

"Hetty, Callen will live." She said quietly.

"Yes he will." She agreed. "But you are done here, you are being reassigned and I am taking over the running of the OSP." She handed Macy her transfer papers.

Macy looked sad, "I never wanted this."

"I know," Hetty said "But it's my job to keep Callen safe, to keep the team safe now." She corrected herself.

Macy cleared out her desk and was gone by the end of the day, by which time Hetty had called Director Vance and arranged for the whole department to be moved.

It was late and she was tired but she walked into the hospital room and sat watching as Callen slept.

She walked over to the bed and stoked his head. "Sleep little one, your mother would be proud of you."

Planting a small kiss on his forehead, she left.

She would see him soon enough she knew he would be back to work soon, and maybe it was time he put down some roots.

In the morning, she would see about finding him somewhere permanent for him to live. He would get better and now she could be nearby to fulfill her promise to Clara and one day when it was safe she would be able to give him the file with everything she had been able to find out for him on his family and who he was.