She Needed His Help

Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine.

Chapter 7

Callen looked over at his sister who sat in between her parents, with a blanket over her shoulders. The ordeal with her husband had caused her to breakdown, which was totally understandable after all she had been through. He had done his part in protecting her from him, and he was thankful he achieved it. In less than twenty-four hours, Callen went from having no family other than Nell and their baby growing inside her, to meeting his sister he had forgotten he had, and finding out about his big sister he thought he had lost, only to find out she was Hunter, who he witnessed being blown up in a car, a year ago. Then there were his nephew and niece, and lastly, his father. Callen had spent so much of his free time searching for his family, wondering who they were, and where they were. And now they were here in front of him. For so long he'd been alone, wondering why no one wanted him. Only to find out, that although he had no idea, he was very much loved. Emotions ripped through his body, and found himself sway.

Michaela looked up at her brother with confusion and concern. She leaped up and held him close, to keep him from falling. "What's wrong, George?" she asked him.

His breathing became rapid and his heart rate increased. "

George?"

He looked at his sister dazed. He wasn't sure if this was another of his dreams, or if it was real.

Michaela's quick movement caught her parents' attention. Michael stood and walked over to his children. "George, are you okay?"

Callen looked into his father's eyes as if he was looking at him for the first time.

Sam walked over to his partner, and gently placed his hand on his shoulder. "G. Are you alright?"

A familiar face. A familiar voice. He turned to the former Navy SEAL. "Sam."

"He's gone into shock," he heard his father say. He turned to looked at him again.

Callen quickly reigned in his emotions. "I'm fine," he told them, hoping they would accept his response and leave him alone. He stepped away to see how Kensi and Deeks were going dealing with Daniels and his accomplice.

Sam shook his head. He knew his partner wasn't fine, and concern was etched on his face as he watched him from afar.

The drive back to the mission seemed to go on for eternity for Callen. He wanted Nell more than anything else at that moment. To hold her close and hear her voice—-she soothed him and made him whole. How she did it, Callen had no idea, but he didn't care on how, he was glad she could and that she was his. He wondered how he had ever survived before they got together. It was a question he couldn't answer; he just knew he somehow had.

He had dropped his sister and her children off at the hospital, and quickly saw his father before he left them there. The doctor had wanted to keep him in for observations overnight.

"I'll be back later," he told them. He said his goodbyes, and felt strange walking away from him family after just finding them after such a long time. But he needed Nell. As Callen opened the car door and entered the condemned office building, he was attacked by a shrieking sound with arms and legs flying over him, into a body hug.

"Nell." He had missed Nell so much, but he now realised just how much she had missed him.

She kissed him firmly on the lips. "Don't you ever go that far from me again," she told him. Then she smiled that beautiful smile he loved on her and smiled back.

"I miss you too, Nell. I'll try, but you know I can't promise that." He gently placed her down onto the ground and held her for a few seconds more. He brushed his thumb across the smooth skin of her cheek and jaw and lowered his hand onto her arm. "You're glowing, babe. You're so beautiful." He moved his hand over her belly and felt the small bump housing their baby. "Being pregnant suits you, Nell." He kissed her softly on her sweet lips. "Being away was worth it if I receive a welcome home from you like this." He smiled at her.

Nell looked back up at her boyfriend and touched his smooth face. "I like it, G." she told him. "You look so handsome."

Callen tilted his head sideways, as he pondered her words. "I thought you like me with the stubble?" he questioned her.

"Hmm! That too." She stood on her tippy toes and kissed him quickly again on the lips.

Callen brought her closer to him, with his hands firmly around her waist. He tipped his head down and captured her lips again. She tasted so good, and he wanted to continue kissing her, but knew they weren't alone. He broke away and looked over Nell's shoulders.

"Welcome back, Mr Callen. When you are ready, I would like you both to join me for a cup of tea." Callen and Nell looked at their Operations Manager as she spoke. They saw her smile and could see she was happy for them. Her eyes sparkled, and they wondered if they saw a tear in her eyes.

Callen held Nell's hand and they followed her over to her desk. They each took a seat opposite the older woman and waited for her to pour the tea.

"How is Michaela and the rest of your family doing now, Mr Callen?" She handed their cups to them.

"They're fine, thanks, Hetty. Michael is being kept in over night for observations, and Michaela, well I think she'll be okay from today's events. She's tough." Callen looked Hetty in the eyes. "You know," he paused. "You can call me George, if you like. You don't need to call me Mr Callen anymore and worry you might slip up and call me by my real name."

Hetty sipped her tea and smiled. "There is no fooling you, George." She placed her hand over the desk towards her team leader. "I'm sorry if I have once again failed you by keeping secrets from you. You have become like a son to me, and it has been hard to not tell you what I knew you desperately wanted to know."

"Hetty," he interrupted her. "I just don't understand why you didn't tell me."

"I made a promise to your father. It wasn'tt my story to tell you. You needed someone in your family to tell you in person. I tried to get Amy to talk to you, but she wanted to keep her promise to your father, and protect you. Little did I know that you would despise her when I had her replace me, when I went to Romania. Or that she had infiltrated the Comescu family as Ilena, to get revenge on your mother's death. You were her favourite, you know. Amy loved you more than she loved anyone. You were her baby brother, and she wanted to protect you, at all costs. It broke her to see you alone, but she knew it was the only way to keep you safe from the Comescus." Hetty sighed. She really missed Amy, her death still laid heavily on her shoulders.

"Then there was your father, Michael. He had tried so hard to fix his marriage after your mother's death and protect all three of you; he found it hard to stop, even after you grew up and became a man. You were his only son. His only male heir, and it was important to keep you safe. But you chose, unknowingly, to walk in your mother's footsteps, putting your life at risk every day, to protect your fellow countrymen." She paused and took another sip of her tea. She looked at Callen straight into his vivid blue eyes. "I couldn't tell you, George, because I was worried he would reject you. I couldn't have you go through that, after all you had already been through. The risk was too high."

Callen gently placed his hand on the older woman's. "You take on too much, Hetty. Whose there to take care of you?"

She had been worried how he would receive her when he returned to the office. She knew she had hurt him when he found out she knew his mother. And she felt the guilt for lying to him, that she did not know who his father was when he had asked her. But when she heard Callen's words of concern for her, she knew he had forgiven her.

"I don't deserve your kindness after all I have kept from you. Don't you go worrying about me, now. I have an excellent team of agents who have a habit of following me everywhere I go." She chuckled at the memory of having her field agents rescue her from Romania. Although at the time, it was a matter of life and death. "You have a baby on the way, and that is something worth celebrating." She smiled at him and Nell. "Congratulations to you both."

"Thanks, Hetty," they replied in unison.

"Now get going, the two of you."

Callen looked at her puzzled.

"Don't you have family to introduce to your girlfriend?" she asked him, with a cheeky grin.

Callen smiled and looked at Nell. "Yes I do. Thanks, Hetty." Callen stood and walked around the desk, and kissed Hetty on the cheek. "You've been the closest thing I've had to a mother, Hetty. Thanks." He smiled and grabbed Nell's hand, as he left her office.

Boat Shed

Sam, Kensi and Deeks were at the boathouse with Daniels and his accomplice, trying to tie up the loose ends on the case, so they could hand them over to the FBI, seeing it had been their case in the first place. Daniels was being difficult, to say the least, and his accomplice said nothing. Sam was peeved at them, and his frustration got the better of him. Kensi and Deeks had to pull Sam off Daniels, when he threatened Callen.

"You leave my partner out of this," he roared at Daniels. "You are an embarrassment to all SEALs." Sam took it personally being a former US Navy SEAL himself. He took pride in who he had been, and trusted all SEALs current and former, to behave with respect, honour and integrity. It cut at his core, whenever a SEAL went AWOL.

"Touchy," Daniels egged him on. "Gone soft since you left your SEALs unit, Hanna." He spat back at him. "Got a bit of bromance going on with your partner, have you?" he grinned.

Sam lost it and pulled him up out of his chair and wedged him against the wall. "You've seen nothing. You're a low life, and don't deserve to live."

"Sam, please," Kensi begged. "This is not going to help Michaela or her children."

Sam knew Kensi was right. He released him and left the room. He was mad at Daniels, and mad at himself, for letting such a low life to get to him. He brewed himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. He heard footsteps and saw two FBI Agents enter the building.

"Agent Hanna?" the taller one asked.

"Yes. And you are?" He studied them both, and thought how typical FBI Agents were, when they wore suits on the job. He was glad he was NCIS, where they could wear more comfortable cloths to chase the bad guys in.

"Agents Phillips and Crossley." Sam shook both of their hands. "So you caught Major Scott Daniels?"

Sam nodded. "Yes we did."

"Thanks for the help," Agent Phillips replied. "We've also arrested one of our men, who passed on Michaela Daniels and her children's whereabouts to the Major. Your team have helped us out again. If you ever need our help, we owe you one."

"Thanks, we'll hold you to it." He smiled. He liked this Agent Phillips. He was genuinely nice, compared to the goons they normally had to deal with from their agency.

Sam entered the room holding Daniels' accomplice and brought him out to them. "He's the only one left of his unit who helped Daniels."

Kensi and Deeks brought Daniels out to the FBI Agents. "Here, he's all yours." Deeks spoke as he handed Daniels over to Agent Phillips.

"Thanks again." Agent Phillips told them and left with their prisoners.

Kensi sighed. "Are you okay, Sam?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks Kensi. He's one hell of a bastard." He shook his head. "Family, hey!"

"It's weird," Deeks piped in. Sam and Kensi looked at the detective, wondering where he was going with his comment. "To think that he's Callen's brother-in-law."

Kensi rolled her eyes. "Deeks." She shoved him a bit. "Trust you to think of him that way."

"We'll it's the truth," he added.

"Go home, Deeks." Sam told him, and left the boathouse. It had been a long two days, he just wanted to go home to his family. He knew that Michelle was going to be thrilled to hear G's found his family, and that he and Nell are together expecting a baby. He smiled at the news G had told him earlier that day. He shook his head. How had he not seen that one coming? G and Nell. He chuckled as he drove home.

"Do you want to go out for dinner, babe?" Deeks drew Kensi closer to him and wrapped his arms around her.

"Yeah, that would be nice." Kensi locked up behind them as they headed out to the car.

The End!