Archive of Our Own ^beta

1984

Callen was running from the cops, there was no way he was getting caught and going to jail for stealing food. It hadn't been much, just a packet of chips and a bottle of water. He'd absconded from his new placement an hour after being placed there and hadn't eaten for three days.

The huge bruise on his eye, which his new foster parent had given him fifteen minutes after he had arrived, was throbbing and he was tired. 'Possible concussion' he had thought as he gingerly pressed his fingers to his eye socket.

He hated this, he hated being in the system and no one giving a damn about him. He hated having people who were supposed to give him a safe place to sleep using him as a paycheck and he especially hated his new foster parents, as they had beaten him because their son had broken a glass and blamed it on him. He hadn't even stepped foot in the kitchen and the mother had seen the glass break, but still backed up her son, smirking as the father had beaten him.

He took his bounty and shoved it in his bag as he hid down an alleyway, watching as the officer who had been chasing him on foot stopped to ask a kid if he had seen the runaway. The young Italian boy shook his head and pointed the officer in the opposite direction that Callen had run in.

Watching as the officer ran in that direction the kid turned and sauntered down towards the spot where Callen was hiding.

"You ok kid?" He asked his thick New York accent making Callen look at him in surprise.

"Thanks…" Callen leaned his hands on his knees as he got his breath back. "You're not from around here?" He asked.

The kid smiled, "Nope."

Callen looked at the posh suit the kid was wearing, "You on vacation?"

"Something like that, looking for kids." The boy said.

Callen stepped back warily, "Who are you?"

The boy smiled, "'Names Marco Marsino, I'm from Long Island."

"What are you looking for kids for?" Callen as he stepped back again realizing that he was backed up in the alley and there was no way out.

Marco smiled, "Not what you've been used to. I come from a group who cares about kids."

Callen laughed, "No one cares about kids like me."

"Look at me." Marco snapped, "I'm wearing a brand new suit, I am sleeping in a hotel room and I know where I am sleeping tonight. I am an orphan; So, What about you?"

Callen looked ashamed for a moment, "I'm fine, I can take care of myself."

"You can but you shouldn't. America throws children away. Especially immigrant children."

"I'm not an immigrant." Callen snapped.

"No?" Marco looked surprised, "You think they'd treat you like this if you weren't?"

Callen shrugged, "I don't know."

"Come with me." Marco said, smiling kindly at him, "I'll have someone fix that ankle."

Callen looked down in surprise, he had known that his face hurt, but he hadn't even registered that his ankle was swollen where he had twisted it running.

"It's fine." Callen lied.

Marco put his hand on Callen's shoulder and smiled as the younger boy flinched.

"Callen, I can see it's twisted, maybe even fractured. Let me help."

"What you gonna get out of it?" Callen asked cagily.

Marco shook his head, looking totally innocent, "Nothing, nothing at all."

Callen scoffed and then winced as pain shot through him. "Nothing is free." He replied, but allowed this kid to help him anyway.

He took him to a house in Reseda and Callen looked cagily at the building, "I thought you said you were from New Jersey?"

Marco spotting the slip patted his shoulder, "I said I was from New York, which I am. But Father has friends here and it's nearer than the hotel."

As they walked up the path a small familiar blond haired boy ran out. Callen recognized him as a kid that had gone missing from a group home a few months ago.

"Danny?"

The boy smiled, "G!" He ran up and hugged him, "Father found you too? You're gonna like it here!"

Callen looked at Daniel carefully, there were no marks on him, he looked well fed and happy… Like… Like a five year old should.

"This a foster home?" Callen asked, starting to shake as the lack of adrenaline, hunger and pain began to overwhelm him.

"No." Said an older man who opened the door. "Social services are not welcome here."

Callen pulled back as if to go, "You, child, are welcome here, Please come in and join us." The man turned to the young boy. "Daniel Budd, if you don't get in here, your food will get cold."

Daniel turned and grabbed Callen's pant leg, "Can G stay too?" He asked.

"G?" The man asked.

"Callen." Callen corrected him.

The man crouched down to talk to Daniel, "You know the rules, everyone is their own person, to stay or not to stay is totally up to your friend here." He stood up and looked at Callen, "But you do look like you could use a good meal and medical attention, please… let me help."

Callen swayed as he tried to pull away, but the pain overtook him and he fell into the man's arms.

" 'E gonna be ok?" Daniel's voice cut through the gloom, as Callen slowly drifted back to consciousness.

"He'll be fine, he's just tired, hungry and he's got a sprained ankle." The man said.

"Can you fix him?" Danny asked. "G saved me from bullies, he's nice."

"I'm sure he is." The man's voice sounded kind, "I'll help as much as he'll let me. Then he can decide to join us or leave."

"I hope he joins, it's nice here." Danny said.

"Join what?" Callen asked as he opened his eyes. He noticed his ankle was strapped up and elevated with an ice pack balancing on it held there gently by the older man's hand.

"We are a group called The Calling, we are taking children rejected by society and raising them to be productive. To help one day fix America, to make it great again." The man said. He reached over and handed Callen a bowl.

"It's soup." He said as Callen sniffed it cautiously.

"It has shapes in!" Daniel said as he sat next to him eating his bowl of soup.

Callen couldn't help but smile at the enthusiastic child.

"So if this isn't a foster home what is it?"

"The Calling owns homes all over America. We are not regulated by social services, I am the father of this home. Each home has a father and a mother. We will not harm the charges in our care, we educate, clothe and feed you."

"You educate?" Callen asked worriedly.

"Yes, we homeschool. We don't fill you with the propaganda you are taught in school. We just want to give the children America forgets about a second chance, will you stay?" He asked.

Callen sipped his soup, thinking about it. None of his warning bells had gone off, nothing about this man screamed danger, in fact all he felt was warmth and safety a feeling he was unused to but he liked.

"Yes. I'll stay… For a while."

Father smiled, "That's good to hear, Callen? Is that your given name?"

Callen shook his head, "My surname is Callen, I don't know my first name, I'm just called, G."

Father sighed, "Another attempt to control youth. I will just call you Callen if I may?"

Callen blinked, surprise showing on his face.

"Have I upset you?" The man asked.

Callen shook his head, "It's just… No one has ever asked me before, I am just told what I am to be called."

"If you do not like it…?"

"No…. No, not at all, thank you… Father?"

The older man smiled, "Da… Yes."

"You are Russian?" Callen asked surprised.

The man nodded, "Alexei Minshev, I am called Father and if you would like that I will allow you to call me it as well if you wish."

Callen smiled and lay back as exhaustion overwhelmed him.

He stayed there for six months, off Social services radar, learning about The Calling and what they stood for.

For a long time he was happy, they taught him, gave him stability for the first time in his life and Alexei, Father, taught him Russian; A language that when he heard it made him feel safe and loved poking a box that in his mind was still closed. Marco had gone back to New York with 'His' Father and for a while he had kept in touch via letter, but Marco had stopped writing to him.

Daniel had been adopted into a rich family, in preparation for his role in the future, the parents had changed their name to his as Daniel had not wanted to change his surname.

Callen had been sad to see him go, but a number of other children had moved into the home that Father and his wife, Nadia, (Mother) had built here. The only house rule, they had, was that if anyone left the house they were not to break the law.

One Rule… And Callen broke it.

He'd finished his lessons for the day and it had been a hot summer. Callen decided to head to the beach telling Mother on his way out that he was going.

She nodded with a smile as he left.

He sauntered along the boardwalk watching the people who were on vacation and others who were enjoying the weather.

He looked at the edge of the boardwalk as he saw something red sticking out from just underneath and he leaned down to get a better look. Lifting it up he saw it was a wallet.

"HEY!" An angry voice came from behind him. "Put that down thief!"

"I… I didn't, I…" Callen argued and he dropped the wallet as if burned.

From there things escalated, before he knew what was happening Callen had been arrested, he'd called Mother to tell her and she used the standard response, "I have no idea who you are talking about."

Angry and rejected Callen fought back with everyone, the police, the guards, his lawyer, and even bad mouthed the judge who sent him to Juvenile Hall.

He did three weeks in the detention center until he'd had enough, he broke out, stole a car and ran.

This was how he met one, Henrietta Lange.

At first he thought she was a member of The Calling, but she wasn't. She took him in, but she sent him to school rather than teaching him the things he had been learning.

Even now, having known her for all those years, Callen had never discussed where he had been the six months before he had been arrested.

So, when Agent Tony DiNozzo asked how much the team actually knew about Callen, even Hetty had to wonder, how much had he actually kept hidden from her.

"Stop… please…!" Callen begged as Alexei moved for the gun Callen had noticed was tucked in the small of his back.

"Don't move." Sam said as Callen shifted putting himself between his partner and Alexei. "Hand over your weapon G."

Alexei laughed at that, "He can't do that, he is the weapon."

Gibbs with a glare raised his gun higher.

"You're coming with us, where is the information you were selling Callen?" Gibbs asked.

Callen sighed, "Back pocket."

Sam put handcuffs on both of them and he pushed Alexei towards the car.

"Careful!" Callen shouted as Alexei stumbled. No matter what he felt about the man, the man was right about one thing. He did owe him and in his own way Callen cared about him.

Sam shot him an annoyed look.

"I trusted you."

Callen didn't say a word, but he looked over with concern at Alexei as they were bundled into a transport van for the short trip to the boatshed.

Tony and Granger pulled up outside Cedar Sinai Hospital. "Do you want me to come in with you?" Granger asked, "For support?"

Tony shook his head, "I'll be fine. I'll make my own way back to the mission as soon as I know how my father is." He told him.

Granger nodded as Tony stepped out of the Challenger. "Remember to keep either myself, Hetty or Agent Gibbs in the loop." He ordered.

"Will do." Tony replied and he watched as Granger drove the car out of sight.

He picked up his phone and made a call. "I've ditched them, where are you Father?" He asked.

He waited as Senior replied.

"I'm on my way." Tony told him as he raised his hand to hail a cab.

By the time they got to the boatshed Callen was furious.

Gibbs and Sam had gone ahead in their own vehicle, leaving the backup team to take him and Alexei in. He himself had done this plenty of times, but after this he swore he'd kill the agents holding them.

He understood where their anger was coming from, the mole had been talked about in the mission for nearly a year and everyone remembered the fear and chaos when Carl Brown had been unmasked, even Callen had been annoyed after finding out he had been a member of The Calling. It had been after that, after Brown had killed Helen another member of the OSP family, that Callen had made his decision.

But these agents crossed the line, they were rough with him, and he could take it. Hell, he didn't care that they roughed him up as they threw him into the transport van, but as they arrived at the boatshed, Alexei stumbled and fell, the agents moving so that he fell flat on his face and Callen lost it.

"Son of a bitch!" Callen cursed as he launched himself headfirst at the Agent pulling him out of the van.

"Shut up traitor." The Agent snapped, "Your former team will just be finishing what we started."

Callen struggled as they took him into the boatshed. A shocked team standing there as Callen was lead cursing and fighting in to the interrogation room.

Kensi and Deeks sat at the table with Hetty, Nell and Eric watching over the monitor as Agent Patterson opened the door. Agent Trella came behind him with Alexei in cuffs, the man stumbling without the use of his cane.

"GET THE HELL OFF ME!" Callen cursed as he struggled.

The younger agents looked up in shock as their team leader was hauled in.

Callen pulled away from Patterson as Alexei stumbled again.

"Please…" Callen begged, "He needs his cane… you can't…"

Alexei stumbled again and Callen moved his body to protect the older man.

"Father!" Callen exclaimed quietly hoping that the others didn't hear him.

Alexei smiled kindly, "It is ok my son."

"No… No, it's not. Hetty, we don't treat people like this. He needs a doctor."

"Mr Callen if Mr….? If, he needs a doctor one will be provided." She promised.

She nodded towards the interrogation rooms.

"Put me with him, please…" Callen begged.

"Callen why would we do that?" Hetty asked.

Alexei shook his head and instantly Callen calmed down, remembering that look from when he was a child. He had insulted Father, and he knew it.

"Sorry." Callen capitulated, to the surprise of the junior agents and the operations manager who had never seen him use that tone with anyone in his life.

He said nothing more as he was moved into one room and Alexei was taken into the other room for questioning.

By the time Gibbs and Sam arrived, Kensi and Deeks were already interrogating Alexei. Hetty was sitting at the table with a cup of tea in front of her.

She looked up as they came in.

"Mr. Hanna, Agent Gibbs and I will be conducting this interview."

"G's my partner, I need to be in there Hetty." Sam argued.

"Not yet." Hetty replied. She turned to the monitor, "Mr. Beale I want all recording devices switched off in interrogation room one." She ordered.

"But…" Eric started and stopped when he realized who he was about to argue with, with a look of confusion towards Nell he pressed a button. "They are all switched off. Do you want me to do the same with the man that Kensi and Deeks are questioning?" He asked.

Hetty shook her head, "Just Mr. Callen."

Sam glowered at them as Hetty stood up to go into the room.

"You're leaving G without a recording?"

"Mr. Hanna, If you must interrogate someone, see if Ms. Blye and Mr. Deeks need a hand." Hetty said as she moved to join Gibbs.

Callen looked up, anger still on his face as Gibbs and Hetty walked in the room.

Hetty, walking in last, locked the door.

"Well?" Callen snapped.

"All recording devices are off Mr. Callen."

Callen sighed and dropped his handcuffs on the table.

"Good." He smiled at Hetty, "How was I?" he asked.

Hetty chuckled, "Oscar worthy Mr. Callen."

Gibbs placed the file on the table, "He took the bait, with us all running around after you, he didn't think we'd notice when he took off."

"I'm sorry Jethro." Callen said honestly.

Gibbs gave a short, barked laugh, "Would have hurt more if it had been you." He admitted honestly.

For a moment Callen looked worried, "Is Fa... Alexei, is he alright?"

"You still care for him don't you?" Hetty asked.

"I didn't think he was still alive." Callen admitted, "Much less still running The Calling here."

"I have arranged for Sam to go in with Kensi and Deeks, if he's hurt Sam will pick up on it and deal with it."

"He has cancer." Callen admitted.

Hetty nodded, she knew at that moment all words would be useless.

"So what did you get?" Gibbs asked.

"Marco Marsino is going to take over The Calling from his Father. His Father is the leader of The Calling." Callen told them, "He's going to meet with Anna for her half of the list and when I 'escape' from here I will go with her to deliver the rest of the goods. I figure that I can use Fath… Alexei's capture to my advantage. You bug me and come in at the take down."

"So, when did you figure he was Marsino?" Gibbs asked.

"After you were shot, I read the reports on the case you were working, recognized Daniel's name. He was a sweet kid Jethro, God knows what they could have done to me had I not messed up and been saved by Hetty." Callen sighed. He gave her a small smile of gratitude. "So I told Vance what I knew about The Calling and left it at that, until Marco appeared in the middle of the bullpen one day. Then I knew who the main Mole in NCIS was and why Brown hadn't said anything." Callen gave a sarcastic laugh, "Being accepted, family… it's a powerful motivator. So," Callen started, "I take it the team hate me now?"

Hetty looked at her boy, "I don't know. Ms. Blye is upset, Mr. Deeks is mad. I am not sure if he's mad at you or because he's been betrayed too much in his past. Mr. Hanna, has not at any point accepted that you are the Mole."

Callen smiled, "Sam's smart. I hate doing this to them." He sighed.

"Be that as it may, Sam's reaction made it hard to make sure the others were convinced. However, your reaction on being brought in was perfect."

"I wasn't acting, you need to sort out those two idiots who bought us in. Alexei needed his cane and then let him fall deliberately." Callen shook his head, "I don't care about the others, Marco… was he convinced? Hetty I need to know, Anna's working her side of the assignment, she's meeting with his father now."

"He was convinced." Hetty told him.

Callen sighed, "I don't want her hurt, she doesn't deserve it."

"And you do G?" Gibbs asked.

"I was a member of The Calling, granted at 14 I didn't realize what they were or what they wanted, but I was there long enough that Fa... Alexei wanted me to take over for him. It was an easy way to get back in. Helen was a good woman, Eric was injured by Brown, Granger was nearly killed and he tried to kill Kensi. It wasn't until he was questioned and he mentioned them, I realized that I was just as responsible as he was. I could have stopped it."

"You didn't know Grisha." Gibbs said softly, "You were not responsible for Helen's death, or my being shot. None of it."

"So next phase?" Callen asked.

Hetty took an A4 sized envelope out and put it in a waterproof bag.

Callen chuckled to himself as Gibbs opened the trapdoor and Callen duct taped the bag to his chest.

"You know at this rate, I may just stop using the main door." He said before he smirked at the other two and jumped into the water.

Anna had waited outside the spa for an hour before she saw him enter.

Smiling, remembering the last time she went into a spa, she followed.

"I thought you were not going to show."

Father smiled at Anna, "And miss the chance to spend time at a spa with a pretty woman." He said. "We were not properly introduced last night." he extended his hand. "Roberto Di Antonio."

She smiled sweetly, "Anna Kolcheck,"

Roberto looked towards the small cafe that was in the entrance of the spa. "Please allow me; I would like to introduce you to my son and heir when he gets here."

"You have children?" Anna said with a smile.

"Marco is very special, he like all my children was found alone, without family. He needed a firm hand and some guidance, I took him in and out of all my children he is the one I am most proud of."

Anna ordered herself a coffee and waited for Marco to arrive, hoping that G had managed to conclude his own business and would be joining her.

Gibbs and Hetty walked back into the main room of the boatshed, as Sam and the team were discussing the way the interrogation had gone with Alexei.

"He's very persuasive, though." Kensi said as the other two entered. "I mean, if I were a child, I would have believed him. Maybe Callen was swayed by his arguments."

"He was Ms. Blye." Hetty said as she sat on the couch. "Mr. Callen was in a vulnerable state when he was found and lured in by The Calling."

"Maybe he was, but Callen is a part of this team, he wouldn't betray us." Sam said.

"Y'Think?" Gibbs snapped barely suppressing the urge to smile. "Then where is he?"

"He's gone?!" Kensi asked shocked.

"No... He wouldn't." Deeks said.

"G's no traitor, he's being played." Sam snapped.

Hetty sighed, "I think Agent Gibbs, we can read the team in now."

"I knew it!" Sam said, thumping his fist on the table, "G's innocent isn't he!"

Kensi and Deeks looked relieved.

"Not exactly." Gibbs replied.

"Sit down." Hetty said and switched off the monitor that was next to them.

"What you have found out about Mr. Callen being a member of The Calling is true."

"You just said he was undercover Hetty, not a terrorist." Sam Argued.

"For six months when he was fourteen, he was raised and indoctrinated by them. Alexei Mishnev is the 'father' of the Los Angeles group of The Calling. As you all know we had a mole, Carl Brown. He insinuated that he was not the person in charge and it wasn't until Agent Gibbs' team dealt with The Calling, resulting in the death of Agent Dorneget in Egypt, that Agent Callen came to me and Director Vance and told us about his connection to The Calling and his knowledge of Daniel Budd. Full disclosure in that case was paramount to helping find the mole. Then, as luck would have it another member of The Calling came to OSP and Mr. Callen recognized him, fortunately he did not recognize Mr. Callen as it was some years since they had met."

"So there was another mole?" Deeks asked.

Gibbs nodded curtly and turned away.

"Who?" Sam asked.

Gibbs shook his head, "Not the issue right now. Callen is off to meet with them, but we need to get more names of other children used by The Calling. Blye, Deeks go back in with Alexei, get as much as you can from him. Don't let him know that we've let Callen go."

Deeks nodded, "On it." He said grimly as they went in to interrogate him again. Kensi put an arm on his shoulder, "You ok?" she asked softly as they moved away from the others.

"Yeah," Deeks replied, his voice low, "I hate it when people manipulate kids, and this guy… I mean he did it to someone we know."

"You gonna be ok in there?" Kensi asked concerned.

Deeks smiled and let his fingers find her hand and squeezed gently, "I'll be fine."

He replied and headed off to interrogation.

"What's the play with G?" Sam asked, turning from the scene and looking at Hetty and Gibbs.

"Callen is going to meet with Anna and the leader of The Calling, he's GPS tagged and we are going to track him and get some evidence hopefully of the leader and catch our mole in the act." Gibbs said.

"The GPS tracker that Mr. Callen has hopefully fitted to his person also has a transmitter so we will get the audio of his meeting as well. Then all we have to do it catch him in the act. You and Jethro will be following the signal and will act as Mr. Callen's back up." Hetty told Sam.

"Good, the sooner we have this mole in custody and this group taken down, the sooner we can get back to our lives."

Marco walked into the cafe and smiled as he saw the beautiful blonde on his father's right hand side. Maybe if she was a contact they could get to know each other a lot better.

He beamed as he walked over to them.

"Father, so good to see you here."

"Marco, my boy. Come meet Miss Kolcheck, She's a friend of Alexei's boy."

Marco smiled, extending his hand. "Miss Kolcheck."

"Call me Anna." She said taking his hand and smiling.

"I hear you have the list for me." Marco said.

"Most of it." Anna said apologetically, "Grisha was meant to meet me with rest of the information. He's just running late."

Marco smiled, "His loss, our gain. Extra time with a beautiful woman is nothing to be ashamed of, isn't that right father?"

Roberto smiled, "Yes son."

Anna looked at her watch, "I had hoped he would be here by now." she sighed, then her phone vibrated and she looked at it with a smile. "He is on his way."

Anna smiled sweetly as Marco flirted with her for a while, finally she looked up as Callen, dried and dressed in a pressed suit walked into the spa.

"Callen." She smiled as he walked up to them.

A frown crossed Marco's face, then it became a mask.

Callen sat down, "It's good to see you again." He said to the older man.

"I assume you have my information?" Roberto asked.

"Of course, do you have my money?" Callen asked.

Roberto shook his head, "I have it, but not here. I do not understand why you don't just give me the information that I require. After all The Calling is both Mother and Father to you, and children should help their parents."

"I agree, but children have to make their own way in the world and I am putting a lot on the line to make sure you get what you need. Who says I can't benefit as well?" Callen asked.

Roberto smiled, "An entrepreneur, a man after my own heart."

Marco stood up, "Then, father… I assume the money is in your hotel room, maybe we should go and get it, then Callen can be on his way."

"Smart thinking, I have a suite, let us go back and get better acquainted. Maybe tell me more about you Callen."

Callen stood, pulling out Anna's chair for her as she rose.

"Allow me." Roberto said, holding his arm out. Anna shot Callen as smile as she took his arm and escorted him out.

"Shall we." Callen said. He took a few steps before he felt something familiar in the small of his back.

"Just walk out without any trouble and you and your girl will not be killed. After all AGENT Callen, she's far too pretty to have her brains plastered all over this lovely building. You should know Father has a gun in his pocket and won't hesitate to use it on her." Marco said his mask of nonchalance still in place.

Callen's gut dropped.

"You don't trust me Marco, and you recruited me?"

Marco sighed, "My boss has rules, one I like the best. Rule 8, Never Assume always double check. Until I can double check I'm considering you a threat to our whole operation… Now… MOVE!" He hissed and nudged him towards the door.

Tony scuffed his feet on the floorboard, smirking as he marred the shine on his ferragamo shoes. He was bored. Beyond bored and he didn't even have his cell phone to play Tetris while he was waiting.

Being in the boatshed he could hear the waves beneath him and the sounds of people moving, feeling the floorboards move as they moved about.

He listened, waiting to hear his Father's voice. He knew it wouldn't be long before they brought him in, in which case his father would call his lawyer and they would both be out on a technicality. Or his Father had escaped, in which case he would call his lawyer and he'd be out on a technicality. Either way The Calling had a good lawyer and Father's was the best.

After all The Calling wasn't a terrorist group, they were freedom fighters. A force for good. As soon as the others found this out he would be freed and possibly hailed a hero. Either way, he knew that Father would be the new head of The Calling, with him as the second The Calling would be a new power in America. Child services would send children to Calling members to be raised in safety and crime would be reduced as there would be no troubled youths. Each youth would have a Calling in life, a goal to strive for. No child would be abandoned, or unwanted again. He knew what he was doing was right and there was no way he was wrong.

He thought back to how he had been 'found' by Roberto.

He had been four years old. The son of a single woman in Palermo and a 'visiting' American. The woman had raised him for four, horrible, pain filled years. She had been thrown out by her family for the stigma of being a single mother. She had loved him for a while, until the money sent to her from his father ran out. She would scream at him for hours telling him how his father had gone back to America to marry a nice woman and how he called her a whore. She would snap at him that he had ruined her life, that he had made her a whore and now she had to go and earn money like one. That one day she would go to America and give him to his father.

He had clung to that hope like a well loved teddy bear. Hoping that his father would love him more than his mother.

Then one night, his mother went out and didn't come home.

He never knew what had happened to her. He didn't know that she had been stabbed and bled to death in the same alley that 'Father' had found him in two weeks later, when he had run away as men had cleaned out the furniture in his home. He had gone in fear looking for her, but had found nothing but terror on the streets. Old men wanting him to come closer so they could get a good look at him.

The child ran from the clawing hands and ended up huddled in a small alley, shivering and scared.

The child watched from his vantage point as holiday makers walked by, not noticing the child, then a large car pulled up, the door opened and a young man stepped out dressed in the best clothes Marco had ever seen. Marco wondered if he was a king.

"Marco?" The man's voice sounded worried.

No one had ever sounded worried about him before.

"Marco Marsino? Are you there."

There was a small noise and the young man looked to see two large green eyes staring at him. His information had been right, this child might be just what he was looking for. "Marco?"

The small boy looked up at him, "S... Sir?"

The man smiled, "I was told you were here. You are too small to be alone." He said.

Marco stood up and looked annoyed, "No Sir, I'm this many." He said holding his hand up and showing four fingers, "Mama says I'm a man."

Roberto chuckled. "I am sure you are, my apologies, young sir." He mock bowed and admired the grit the child possessed. "I have been sent to look after you, to keep you safe."

"Is my mama with you?" He asked.

Roberto shook his head, "Your mother is with the Angels. But she asked me to take you in." He lied. Well, not exactly lied. After all, when he had stabbed the child's mother, she had asked who would take care of her child now, as she had died. He'd realized that this boy might help him advance in The Calling. After all, to be a 'Father' you had to have children under your command. If he could just work with hand picked children, raise the best of the best….

"Come along, son." He said, holding out his hand.

"Who are you?" Marco had asked.

Roberto smiled, "You may call me, Father."

Over forty years later, Marco recalled his meeting with his father with fondness. He had taken him from terror and raised him in safety, teaching him all the skills he needed for life. Taking a terrified child from the streets to his, in his four year old opinion, Palace. In actual fact, it was a villa near the sea. Roberto had fed, clothed and nursed the child back to full health. Employed a mother, Elizabeth to teach him the basic's of The Calling philosophy, plus all the other basics, like academics and how to act in society. Roberto doted on the child, he knew that one day this child would go far. Roberto took him all over the world, teaching him about different cultures and finding more children to send back to Elizabeth to join the ranks, but Marco, with his bright green eyes and winning smile was his first. His protege.

And Marco in return loved his 'father' with all his being, not even now, sitting in the boatshed after all that had happened, did he regret doing anything to help him. He knew that soon his father would be here.

Marco looked up as Gibbs walked in the door with Hetty with him.

Gibbs pulled out the chair as Hetty walked across the room and slapped Marco's feet off the table, then continued to the chair and sat down.

"Mr. DiNozzo… Or would you prefer Marco Marsino?" She asked.

Marco shrugged, "A name is a name, doesn't mean anything."

Hetty smiled slightly. "I know a few people who wouldn't agree with you."

"The kid wouldn't accept the name he was given, not my fault." Marco looked at the slats on the window behind her. "Is he watching? Does he know how he's broke his father's heart?"

In the other room Callen stepped away from the monitor as Anna put her hand on his arm.

"Not everyone is picked to be their Father's protege, I was, Callen was… I picked him, I saw in him what my Father saw in me. He could have had everything, he threw it away." Marco's voice came from the monitor.

"This is not about Mr. Callen, this is about you." Hetty said, pulling Marco's focus back into the room.

"I will not betray my father or my family." Marco vowed.

"You are, I assume referring to Mr. Di Antonio?" Hetty asked.

"He is my father." Marco snapped.

Hetty shook her head, "Your father was a senator. He was stationed in Italy when he had a liaison with your mother. He is currently in prison for murder, it is ironic that you arrested him, well, your team did. Senator Patrick Kelly. DNA is a match." Hetty told him.

Marco shook his head, "He is not my father. My father is Anthony DiNozzo Senior." He replied out of habit.

"The man masquerading as Anthony DiNozzo Senior, Roberto Di Antonio is not genetically related to you in any way."

Marco sighed, some part of him had always hoped, but it was what it was and he wasn't going to let them play him.

"You talk to him, he'll tell you, then his lawyers will get us out and crucify you old woman."

"I am afraid that is quite impossible." Hetty said sadly. "I cannot talk to Mr. Di Antonio as he passed away this afternoon."

"You murdered him?" Marco snapped changing his focus and looking intently at Gibbs.

Gibbs shook his head, "I'm sorry, it was a heart attack."

"LIAR!" Marco screamed. "You're covering, Callen killed him didn't he! I'm gonna make him pay!" He didn't care now, tears rolled unchecked down his cheeks. "You killed my father Callen… You have nowhere you can hide."

In that second, Callen felt the pull, to be what he had been trained to be, a child of The Calling a son Alexei could be proud of. However, his inner self won.

"I will always be loyal to my family, and my team, and my agency." Callen picked up the cuffs and placed them in his back pocket. "I will make sure you get a doctor, Father. But I will be getting that list and handing it over."

For a moment Alexei looked angry, then his face went to disappointed and despite himself, Callen found himself shifting his stance over his father's stare.

"I should have guessed that you were working for them. You were always too willful."

"I have my own mind and I make my own decisions." Callen argued.

"You are my son and I will not say I am not disappointed." Alexei told him, "But I will always be your father, no matter how you see your team, I am your family. The Calling will always be a part of who you are. When you've seen the truth you can't walk away."

"Watch me." Callen snapped, "This is me… Walking away."

He walked out and slammed the door shut, leaning heavily on the other side.

"G, you ok?" Sam asked, walking around the corner.

"Is the doctor here yet, Alexei needs help." Callen told him.

"He's on his way Mr. Callen." Hetty said, walking up behind Sam. "Are you alright?" she asked softly, putting her hand on his arm.

Callen shook his head and walked into the main room, grabbing a yellow legal pad and a pen off the table.

He wrote down an address and handed the folded up piece of paper to Gibbs. "It's the house, Alexei's house. The information you want is in a concealed panel behind the couch in the living room. The wall is wood paneled and there is a small nick on the corner of the one that will move out if you press and click it. There's a red book in there. All the information you need is in it."

"So…" Deeks asked, "You with them or with us, 'coz, ya know it's getting hard to tell."

Kensi punched him on the arm, "Deeks!" she hissed.

"You're telling me you aren't confused ladybird?" Deeks asked.

"I'm giving you this information aren't I?" Callen snapped, he was tired, hungry and to be honest a bit confused himself.

Gibbs looked at the slip of paper, "Blye, Deeks. Head over there, see what's there and bring it back here." He ordered.

Kensi nodded and all but dragged Deeks out of the boatshed.

Callen sank down onto a hardback chair, "They don't trust me do they?" he asked as the other three sat down. Callen's eyes flicked from Marco to Alexei, on the monitor, he wouldn't… Couldn't look the others in the eye.

"They'll process G." Sam said as he handed him a bottle of water and a sandwich. "Eat." he ordered.

Not even thinking, which showed how tired he was Callen did as Sam told him. Anna walked over and started rubbing his shoulders.

"It is hard Callen, but they will understand in time." She reassured him.

"Alexei is in so much pain, he needs a…" Callen stopped and dropped his bottle of water as he watched Alexei collapse off of the chair.

He stood up and ran into the room with Gibbs, Sam and Anna hot on his heels and Hetty on the phone to the paramedics.

"Father!" Callen yelled as he ran into the room. "Please… no…" His voice cracked as he reached to feel for a pulse on the older man's neck.

"Callen…. Not…" Alexei closed his eyes and Callen hunched over trying to control his emotions as, the first person to treat him kindly, died.

"Paramedics are on their way." Hetty said as she joined them.

Glowering in fury Callen stood up, he looked at the tips of the man's fingers and checked his water bottle.

Grabbing the bottle, and making sure the lid was tight, he dropped it in front of Hetty, "You need to get that tested for Aconite." He growled.

"Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked, concerned.

"There is no way both Alexei and Roberto died from a heart attack. Someone else is involved and is taking out the family heads." He looked Hetty in the eye, "Someone is killing them, I know it. I need to talk to Marco again. We may need his help."

"G?" Sam stood in the doorway, "You said yourself that Alexei was sick. You said he had Cancer. But we were all here we watched him. He had a heart attack and you suddenly come up with the fact that not only has he been poisoned, but that it's linked to the DiAntonio's death? What makes you say that?"

"It's how I would have done it. Aconite isn't a readily available poison, but the signs on him are there. They were on Marco's father too. It just didn't register."

"How could Alexei have been poisoned here? No one has been with him except for Kensi, Deeks, Hetty and you. Out of the four of you only one… well, maybe from what you are saying two of you know how to kill someone like that and I know Hetty didn't kill him." Sam said.

Callen whirled on him, "I may have not betrayed you, but I would never... Never kill anyone without just cause and never him!"

"Never said you would G, but both Marco and Alexei had to ask you twice when you said about Roberto having a heart attack."

"I thought you trusted me?" Callen asked hurt, "Just because I can do it doesn't mean I would do it."

Sam put his hand on his shoulder to move him as the paramedics arrived. "I know that G. I do trust you, after all, not once did I think you were the mole, but you could have told me."

Callen walked over to the main room not wanting to watch as they took Alexei away, "Sam?" He started and walked over to the railing that looked out to the harbor, "How much do you tell me about your childhood? I mean your family?" He asked.

"I told you about my mother, growing up in Brooklyn, hell I even told you about the crazy cat lady aunt I have."

"Your point being?"

"I have shared my past with you."

"You told me bits, just like I told you."

"Yeah, but…. A terrorist group?"

Callen laughed sourly, "I didn't know it was a terrorist group at the time, it was a safe place… a… Fuck, Sam… I …" Callen pulled away the frustration rolling off him in waves, he turned and punched the wall, "This isn't fair! I didn't ask for what happened... I…" He swayed and Sam caught him.

"Get the hell off me!" Callen snapped.

"G?" Sam was confused at the abrupt change in his partner.

"Sam?" Callen's eyes were unfocused for a second, then he saw the empty bottle of water he had dropped when Alexei had collapsed. "Damn." He cursed, reached for the bottle and passed out.

"G!" Sam yelled as he dropped, "We need the paramedics out here. NOW!"

Sam moved as they rushed in to tend to Callen.

"What happened?"

"He was talking, then he just got angry and collapsed." Sam said, looking to where Callen's hand was reaching.

"I think he might have been poisoned, but I don't think he had enough to kill him, Aconite poisoning I think." Sam said.

The paramedic nodded, "We'll get him to the hospital and run a full tox screen on him."

"I'm going with you." Anna said as she stood back worried. "I'm his… I'm going." She told them and walked out with them.

Sam, Gibbs and Hetty watched as the ambulance rode off.

"I am worried." Hetty said.

"Why? I'm sure Callen didn't take enough of the water in to kill him." Sam reassured her.

"No, I know that Mr. Hanna, that's not why I am worried. I am worried because the one person with access to all three men who have been poisoned has just gone in the ambulance with Mr. Callen."

"You think Anna…?"

"Who knows Mr. Hanna, I believe a deeper look into Arkady Kolcheck and Anna Kolcheck may not be a misplaced use of our time however, do you?"

"I'll go to the hospital," Gibbs told them, "Let me know when you hear anything."

In the ambulance, Anna held Callen's hand stroking it softly with her thumb as the paramedic took information from her.

"Soon, Callen… Soon." She whispered as the ambulance whisked it's cargo closer to the hospital.

Watching carefully, Marco had seen various members of the Los Angeles team going in and out of the hospital confirming his suspicion that Callen was still a resident.

He had used the unobserved time carefully.

He'd gone back to his hotel room, picking up the list he'd left there.

Knowing Gibbs as he did, he had known that the man was all case and wouldn't have gotten around to going back to his own hotel room to sleep. He was right, the room was untouched, the list just where he'd left it. He was pleased that Alexei had died, but Callen still needed to go. His father wasn't just any father. He had been a special man and there was no way either Callen or Alexei would be allowed to live. He didn't know how Callen had done it, but he was convinced that he had poisoned his father.

After a shower and a change of clothes and taking Gibbs' back up weapon from his former boss's bag. He headed off to the hospital, he needed to know if Callen was dead or not.

He'd walked into the hospital, stopping at the cafeteria and getting himself some coffee and food watching as people, including team members, walked in and out of the building not noticing him there.

He smirked behind his coffee as Kensi and Deeks stopped not less than 5 meters from him stocking up on coffee's for the team. Sitting with his back to them, he listened as Deeks reassured Kensi that Callen would be ok.

He shook his head slightly as all the information he needed was quietly spoken behind him. All except, to his frustration, the name Callen was registered under and the room he was in. But, not to worry, he had time and he would get his revenge.

He moved from the cafeteria and took up position in a car in the parking lot.

He hated using such an old, generic car. The '97 blue Datsun was old and slightly dirty, but he'd picked it up from a breakers yard for cheap and it would do until he scrapped it in a few hours. The one thing he had always been grateful for was the fact that The Calling had deep pockets and an emergency fund that he could access as needed. He looked at his bag, slightly open on the seat beside him. He would have to get some more weapons. He knew that, for a while Callen wasn't going anywhere, so he put in a call to collect more weapons and supplies. There were a few things he did want to do before he killed Callen. After all Callen had hurt him badly. This wasn't just about The Calling now, this was personal. He smiled as he watched the two people who were next on his list leave the hospital together. Maybe stocking up on weapons could wait.

He put the car in drive and followed as they left the grounds, keeping far enough back that the occupants of the car in front wouldn't realize they were being tailed.

Callen paced his room as Sam sat in the chair watching him. He'd gotten dressed, which Sam was grateful for as those hospital gowns leftnothing to the imagination.

"You need to relax G." Sam told him again.

"I can't. I don't believe she's done this to me!" Callen snapped in frustration.

Sam smiled indulgently. "Really?"

Callen stopped, turned and glared at him.

"Ok, so maybe I can believe it." He sighed, "But I'm a sitting duck here; a danger to everyone in the hospital, and she's put a halt on my leaving and left you here as a jailer!"

"Hey!" Sam argued, "I am not a jailer, I'm here to protect you."

"I don't need protecting!" Callen argued.

"Maybe you don't but I need you to have my back if Marco does target you here. And you are in no fit state to go anywhere until they finish clearing your system out of poisons."

Callen sat back on the bed with an audible huff, "Fine. But he's not going to attack me here." he reiterated.

"You're sure of that Callen?" Gibbs asked, walking into the room.

"You're not?" Callen countered.

Gibbs handed him the coffee and Callen sat back on the bed, one knee raised to lean on and sighed as he took a sip of good coffee.

"Not sure of anything." Gibbs admitted.

"Come on Jethro, you've known Tony… I mean Marco almost thirteen years, only a few years less than you've known me. How did you know I needed this?" He asked, holding up the coffee.

"Knew you well enough, but that's not the point. The point is, I know Tony DiNozzo, my second and my senior field agent. Marco Marsino? I don't know him at all and apparently everything I know about Tony is a lie." Gibbs snapped.

Callen shook his head, "Tony isn't Rebecca. This isn't on you." He gave a short, barked laugh. "That wasn't on you either."

Gibbs glared at him as Sam looked on questioningly. "This is different Tony isn't screwing my lawyer!"

Callen laughed, "I know Jethro. But you cared about the man, for a long time. You trusted him, took him in as family and now you find that all that trust was a lie. I'm just hoping you take this better."

"I'm not about to handle this in the same way I handled Rebecca."

"Good." Callen smiled.

Gibbs walked over to the window. "I picked him. I saw something in him. I trusted my gut." He said quietly.

Callen knew what was coming. "Sam, you wanna go see if Eric has anything else for us?" He asked.

Sam nodded, leaving the two old friends alone.

"I have always trusted my gut Callen, until now it's never failed me. I was sure he was a good man. A great agent. I hoped he'd take over the MCRT after me." Gibbs admitted, "I… I looked on him like a son. I never saw this coming until you told me."

"I'm sorry Jethro." Callen replied, feeling guilty for hurting his friend.

"No." Gibbs turned and looked Callen right in the eyes. "If you hadn't said anything Marco would have hurt a great many more people than just me. Too many have died already because I couldn't see past what I wanted to see. Maybe I'm just too old to do this job."

"Stop it!" Callen snapped, "This is us, just you and me. No pity party. The question is Gibbs, are you up to putting a bullet in this son of a bitch if you have to."

Gibbs nodded. "I won't get played again. I won't allow…"

"Jethro, you were not played, you didn't miss anything. We are trained to be exactly what you need us to be. We know the right answers for therapists and Operational Psychologists. We know how to get where we need to be to be most effective. We are taught to be invisible when need to be and the only thing you see when we need you to. This is NOT on you!"

"We?" Gibbs took a step back.

Callen nodded, "I may not have stayed with The Calling, I sure as Hell do not agree with them, but I was good at my training and had I not found that wallet and been accused of theft I probably would have been the person you were hunting for instead of Marco. I know how he thinks because I was taught the same way he was. Find the weaknesses in others, exploit, extrapolate… and…"

He stopped a horrified look crossing his face. "I know who Marco is going to go after."

"You said already, you." Gibbs said.

Callen shook his head, "I was wrong, he wouldn't just kill me, he knows my weakness, he'd go for those I care about first."

"So Anna then?"

Callen shrugged, "I think worse, he knows my deepest fear. He knows what I would hate to lose the most and he knows who fills that role." He pulled the IV out and grabbed his boots.

"He's gonna kill Hetty." He said with undisguised horror in his voice.

"You're sure?" Gibbs asked, grabbing his phone.

"It's what I would have done." Callen replied, his voice flat taking his gun out of his go bag and putting it into the small of his back taking comfort in having it there. "Never mind the paperwork." Callen reached down and wrote a note, "We're leaving; Now!"

Anna looked around the home appreciatively. Taking in all the ornaments and keepsakes that Hetty had accumulated over the years.

"I thought apartment in Moscow was decorated beautifully; this is better." She smiled.

"Thank you Anna." Hetty said as she walked past her to the kitchen. "Tea?"

Anna smiled as if she was expecting it, "Of course. You think it will be long?" She asked as she took a seat on the small oak table in the kitchen.

"I should think not, but we always have time for tea." Hetty smiled as she poured water from her ornate Russian Samovar into the pot.

Anna took her gun and placed it on the table, under a napkin as Hetty's back was turned.

"Did you know Arkady was involved with The Calling?" Anna asked Hetty.

"Not until I asked him." Hetty admitted, "Then your father has his hands in many things."

"But you know he will never hurt Callen."

Hetty smiled as she turned to Anna with a tray in her hands. "I know. I know that now."

"So, we do this thing for him?" Anna asked.

Hetty nodded grimly.

"Marco worked his way into Jethro's family. Mr. Callen is, even though he chooses to deny it, Jethro's family as well. We both know how this is going to end. I do not want Agent Gibbs to hold a grudge against Mr. Callen. He hasn't had many people in his life that he has trusted long term, myself and Jethro are lucky to be counted amongst the very few. He cannot afford to lose anyone from that number." Hetty said as she took a sip of her tea.

Anna looked on at the smaller woman, her concern for Callen radiating from her like a beacon.

"The list…" She started, not sure how to have the conversation. "He told me, if he used it you would terminate him with extreme prejudice. After this, will you?" she asked.

Hetty sighed and stared into her tea cup.

"I misjudged him. I knew… I have always known about his time in The Calling, I feared he was the mole. It wasn't until he talked to myself and Director Vance that I found out he wasn't the mole but knew who was. When your father went missing he went over and above trying to find him. The one thing he was looking for was information, specifically the information on that list. I assumed he was working for The Calling. I was wrong. Had he been the mole then yes, as much as it pains me, I would have done." She gave a small smile, "His parents would be proud of him."

"He will not say, but he is hurting about this. Marco was good friend as a child."

"That's nice to hear. It won't stop me from killing him, though." Marco said as he entered the room with his gun drawn.

Callen's leg bounced nervously as Gibbs drove towards the address that he had been given. Gibbs looked over at the worry on the younger man's face.

"I don't understand." Gibbs said, breaking the silence.

"About what?" Callen snapped not looking at his friend as the worry in his gut grew.

"I understand if Marco thought you killed his father, he would kill Mishnev in revenge. I even understand how he would try and hurt you, or even Anna. It's obvious that you have feelings for her, but Hetty? Why would Marco target your boss?"

Callen looked down at his leg and placed a hand on his knee to calm himself down.

"That's not the question." Callen muttered, "The question is if you don't know, how does he know?"

"How does he know what?" Gibbs looked over at Callen in frustration. "What is it you're hiding from me Callen?"

Callen sighed deeply, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Hetty was my foster mother for a while. No one knows this, not Vance, not even Sam."

"So we are going to Hetty's house?" Gibbs asked.

Callen nodded, "One of them. The one where I lived as a child. Dovecote. He must have bought Hetty's file from the dark web when it was for sale. I would have done if I didn't know what was in it."

There was a hint of, Gibbs wasn't sure what it was. Admiration, wistfulness, a longing for his time with The Calling? It unnerved him.

"It's time this happened Gibbs." Callen sounded almost remorseful, "It's been coming for a while… Turn left here." He directed as they drove down the road to the large driveway of Dovecote.

"Whose car is that?" Gibbs asked as they saw the beat up blue Datsun sloppily parked outside the house.

Callen shrugged as he picked up his phone. "Eric, call Sam. Tell him Dovecote, he'll know what you mean." he hung up and pulled his weapon. "It's time this was ended. Gibbs… You take the back."

Trusting that Callen knew this house a lot better than he did he nodded.

Watching Gibbs go around the corner Callen sighed in relief, it would be hard enough on his friend, but if he had to see it… He shook his head to clear the thought away and entered the house.

He could hear voices and his gut dropped as Hetty cried out in pain.

"STOP!" Anna's voice drifted down the hall.

Marco laughed, "Don't worry, I'm not planning on killing her… Yet."

Callen looked around the corner. Anna was tied to a chair, her hands zip tied behind her back. Hetty was tied to another chair, a small trickle of blood escaping from the corner of her mouth and her glasses askew.

Marco had hit Hetty!

Callen saw red. This shouldn't have happened, she should never have been hurt because of him. His hand tightened around his gun as he waited for Marco to move.

Marco did just that. Moving closer to Anna standing behind her placing the barrel of his Sig Sauer painfully into her temple as he slowly moved his hand across her neck, tracing the line of her collarbone and slowly moving his hand down as he talked.

"I know how he feels about her." Marco said a head nod indicating Hetty. "You are an unexpected and pleasant surprise. It's a pity my father never got to see exactly what you had to offer before Callen killed him. But maybe I will. I have never been one to turn from a pretty face. The bonus will be the look on Callen's face when he sees how damaged you both are. His mother and his lover. Who will I torture first? Decisions, decisions…" He smiled menacingly at Hetty. "I hear you were with the group that legalized waterboarding as an acceptable means of interrogation."

"I voted against that Mr. Marsino." Hetty replied, not showing an ounce of fear.

"I've read a lot about you. Imagine my surprise when hidden in those files that were for sale on the dark web was that little morsel that not only did you have more than one house, but that you had, as inheritor of your properties a son." Marco laughed as he stepped away from Anna who slumped in relief. "I looked through the NCIS files and there was no mention, anywhere of you having any children. Then I looked at Callen's file and low and behold, there you are! Next of kin!" He laughed triumphantly.

"I am Mr. Deeks' next of kin as well. I'm not his mother either." Hetty argued, "I am their operations manager. It is protocol an agent has a next of kin. I stepped in when they had no one."

"Now come on Hetty. You can't pull that on me. I know that Deeks has a mother and you were temporary while she was in Rehab. See Hetty, I know a lot about your team. I know that Sam had an affair while on assignment. I was surprised actually I didn't think he had it in him. And Kensi… sweet Kensi… you sent her to kill her ex." He walked up to her and put his face right in hers. "And you call ME EVIL!" he shouted.

"I called you nothing of the kind." Hetty replied, noting but not responding to the small amount of spittle running down her cheek."

"You took Callen in, you knew what he was. What he is! Does his team know. Do they know what a killing machine the Calling made of him? Do they know the only reason he hasn't been arrested is that you HID HIM! Why? Why was he so special. He broke the rules, he was caught, he should have been left to the wind for his crimes. Does he know? Does he know that you should have saved his mother, that you let her and him down, does he know about it?"

"He knows." Hetty said sadly, "And I regret it. I regret it everyday." Her eyes flicked for an instant in the direction that her gut told her he was hiding. "He also knows that despite what he didn't have he had something you never had, and that Mr. Marsino is the difference between you two. The difference that makes him a great agent and you a killer."

Marco laughed incredulously, "And what's that old woman?"

"A team that believed in him. People that knew he was destined for great things, people who saw the potential in him for who he could be and not for their own ends."

Marco stepped back as if slapped as Hetty's words hit home.

"I'm gonna make you pay for that." He snarled and lifted his gun aiming it at the center of her forehead.

"Callen… Don't!"

Gibbs' face was full of worry as he moved to cover both men not sure who he should be protecting, his friend or his former partner.

Callen looked back at Tony with a face devoid of emotion.

"Is that what you want Marco? Do you want me to shoot you?" He asked his voice flat and even. Even though his face was emotionless his gut was churning.

If Marco said yes could he do it? Would he do it? Would he complete the training he'd been through as a child; could he become that person again?

"I want you to listen to me." Marco turned slightly. "You need to know that you are wrong. I was never abused, neither were you. It wasn't like that."

"Really?!" Callens eyebrow raised and a slight smirk grazed his face. "We get trained in different places?"

Marco stepped back as if slapped. "You're playing me? How can you take this so lightly, take your oath so lightly."

"I was a child when I promised that. I had no idea what I was promising." Callen took a step forward. "You didn't know either, did you?"

At that point in his life Callen would have gladly traded his soul for a chance of a loving family and a safe place to call his own.

He'd been thirteen then, the idea of promising something to get what he wanted had been intangible. A promise to him was something easily given and very rarely kept. If he'd had no idea what he had been promising at thirteen how could Marco, who had made the same promise at four, have had any idea what he was getting into.

Marco looked at him angrily. How dare Callen even insinuate that the Calling was wrong, that all he had been brought up to believe in was wrong.

"I was giving my oath to my family. The people who saved me, the people who saved you!"

"They are not your family. You don't have family. I don't have family. Just us. I have me and you have you. It's how it's always been and how it always will be for people like us."

"I had my father." Marco argued the pain of his loss still eating away at him. "He may not have been my biological father but he taught me about the sort of man I wanted to be. He knew there was something out there bigger than us. That there was something worth fighting for!"

"Yeah and how did that work out for ya." Callen snapped sarcastically. "He used you. You were played. You believed that The Calling were going to fix things and make things better for kids like us?" He laughed sourly. "Face it Marco, things will never be better for kids like us. Kids like us exist to make life better for others. Question is, do you want The Calling to continue to do that to other children, maybe your children one day?"

Marco stopped, finally the gun wavered.

"It saves them." He said softly his voice no longer as sure as it had been.

"You really believe that the basic training we did is good for children? Or the advanced training that we did? You think it saved us?!" Callen's voice hitched at the pain of the memory. Basic training had been the stuff of his nightmares for many years after leaving The Calling. He had been a teenager, old enough to realize that what had been done to him was wrong. But if no one had ever told Marco it was wrong he would still think it was normal, that all children went through things like this.

He let out a small wry laugh as he remembered the moment he had thought the Calling was wrong, he had stormed out of the training ring only to be stopped at the door to the large training room by Alexei. Callen had glared at him, "I'm not doing that, it's abuse. I know it and I ain't doing it!"

Alexei had held his breath for a microsecond and then wrapped his arm around the now sobbing child. "It's not abuse till someone says it is son. Until then it's just family." Alexei had laughed and walked a scared and shaking Callen back to the training ring.

Watching the myriad of emotions crossing her favorite agents face Hetty coughed. She'd been holding it in for a while but now couldn't help it, besides she needed to bring Mr. Callen back to the present.

Marco's attention went back to her.

"You still trust them? Even her? Did she show you the folder we got from the dark web. Do you know she has known about you since you were a child?"

"I knew." Callen said, truthfully he didn't know everything but he knew enough. He knew that as he had escaped Juvenile hall Hetty had been the one to save him. To make his conviction disappear and give him a fresh start at life.

Hetty looked at him, with a mixture of concern and pride on her face.

"Marco. You need to put the gun down." Gibbs nudged.

"You don't get it!" Marco swung around to stare at Gibbs. "I'm not the one in the wrong here Boss! Callen's wrong, you need to stop him, he'll mess everything up!... I…" Marco stopped as from behind him Anna suddenly moved and put her gun up to his head.

"I think it is you who needs to stop now." She said.

"What?" Marco looked shocked, "But I handcuffed you!"

"Yes you did." Anna agreed, taking the same cuffs she'd been tied to the chair with and putting them on Marco's wrists.

"No…" Marco shook his head, "This can't be happening! It's all wrong!" For him it was like a bad dream. Everything he had worked for was ruined, they just couldn't see how destructive their actions were. "You're making a mistake!"

Hetty sighed as Callen moved to untie her.

"Are you alright?" He asked worried.

"I am unharmed." Hetty replied, "I know someone who may be able to help Mr. Marsino and possibly yourself."

"Me?" Callen looked shocked. "What on earth would I need help with?"

Hetty smiled a pained smile. "I believe Mr. Marsino could use a professional deprogrammer come and talk to him. Also we know you still have… something. Something left over from when you were with The Calling."

"I'm fine Hetty." Callen shook his head but couldn't meet her eyes. He turned from her as Gibbs moved Marco out to another room and walked over to Anna.

"Are you alright?" He asked as his hand cupped her face, moving a strand of her blonde hair that had fallen over one eye. "I was worried." He admitted.

Anna smiled and kissed his cheek gently mindful of their audience.

"I am unharmed Callen."

"Agent Gibbs, if you wish to detain Mr. Marsino in my pantry for now and we will deal with him. I need to see if the person I had asked to come to the boat shed wouldn't mind making a detour here." Hetty said.

Gibbs followed Hetty to the room she had discussed leaving Anna and Callen alone.

"Are you alright Callen?" Anna asked looking deep into his eyes.

For a moment Callen stared back, then he looked away.

"I'm fine." He lied.

Anna smiled and placed a hand on his cheek.

"No you are not. However I know you won't talk now. But know I love you Callen." She said the sincerity in her voice making a lump form in his chest. He pulled her tight to him relishing in the closeness and making sure that she couldn't see his tears

But she knew. She rubbed her hand on his back. "It's ok Callen." she said softly.

He pulled away sharply, "I was just worried for you and Hetty that's all."

Anna smiled at him. She didn't believe a word of it but didn't argue with him.

Deliberately she took him in the opposite direction that Marco had been taken in and out to Hetty's walled garden. She felt him relax at the peacefulness in the garden and lead him to a bench.

"Callen, no one will think bad of you." She eased him down onto a bench.

Callen put his head in his hands and sighed. "It was there… Everything, everything we were taught to believe. Everything… I should have been… I could so easily have been Marco."

"Gibbs and Henrietta have him, he will be helped." Anna promised him.

Callen laughed, "There's no helping us...him. It's not his fault, we're just broken Anna." He turned away wrapping his arms around him in a self comforting gesture. "They broke us and didn't care about picking up the pieces, just when I get my life together, they come and poke at the cracks just to watch us break again. There's no way I'm gonna be allowed to work for a federal agency once this gets out. I was sure I was free of them."

He chuckled sourly, "I suppose this must be what it's like having parents. You pick up traits of them and no matter how hard you try you just can't shake it. I am literally a product of my upbringing, not worth saving."

He turned not looking at Anna, not seeing Gibbs enter behind him.

"I was thirteen, I knew what was happening to me. I should have stopped. At least Marco had an excuse, he was only four. He should be helped."

Callen slumped defeated onto a small stone bench, "You should leave me."

He was done, there was no fight left in him anymore. In his mind The Calling had won.

Gibbs motioned for Anna to move.

He watched as Callen noticed her move away and his shoulders slumped in acceptance of her leaving him and he rolled his eyes suppressing the sigh that wanted to leave him at his friends predictable reaction.

He smiled at Anna as she went to see Hetty and Gibbs moved into her spot behind Callen.

The next thing Callen knew was a sharp pain to the back of the head.

"Gibbs?!" He gasped as he blinked the stars from his eyes.

"You done with the pity party of one?" Gibbs asked.

Callen crossed his arms and turned away, shifting a few inches to keep himself just out of his friends reach.

"It's not a pity party." He groused.

Gibbs resisted the urge to smirk, "Sure as heck looks like it." He replied.

Callen clenched his fists, trying to sort out what he was feeling.

"It's an acceptance of what's true." Callen growled softly.

"In your opinion." Gibbs argued.

"Only one that counts." Callen shifted slightly turning his back on his friend.

"Thought family had an opinion too, you're worth more than you think you are."

Callen laughed sourly. "That would be funny, but you've met my family right? Alexei…"

"Is NOT your father, they are NOT your family. Your team is your family, Hetty, Sam, Kensi, Deeks, Eric, Nell, me. Not one of us think you are worthless. Not one of us think you are anything like The Calling told you you were. Not one of us thinks you should quit and leave."

A small flame of hope blossomed in Callen's chest, before the little demon of doubt that had been his ever present companion tried to stomp it out again.

"Stop it G." Gibbs snapped watching the emotions play across his face, "You need to work on this just as much as Marco does. You can deny it all you like." He watched as Callen shifted this time turning an inch towards him.

"Hetty's guy will be here soon, you gonna talk to him?" Gibbs asked.

Callen shrugged, "He'll be busy with Marco."

"He's part of a team, if you will talk he'll call someone else in."

"I could call Nate." Callen offered weakly.

Gibbs laughed. "Yeah and I could dig up Diane and talk to her." He replied sarcastically.

Callen cocked his head to one side wondering what Gibbs was talking about.

"You don't think I don't read reports kid? When you were kidnapped and tortured by Nate I knew about it."

"That wasn't torture." Callen countered. "He was undercover, he wouldn't have hurt me."

Gibbs moved and finally sat beside him, "Maybe not in your opinion, but he was your friend and he broke your trust."

"Your point being." Callen held back from laughing, although that little demon in his chest was doing a happy dance, of course he had broken his trust, everyone did. That wasn't on them it was him.

"My point being that he was your friend and you haven't talked to him at all since that operation."

"Not had the need to talk to him."

Gibbs looked at the pain that flashed briefly in Callen's eyes, "You angry with him?" He asked.

Callen shook his head, "Nope." He couldn't put into words what he was feeling, resignation perhaps, acceptance? A feeling that this had always been coming the second he had started to open up and allow Nate behind the walls he had so carefully constructed.

"Fine." Gibbs knew he wasn't getting anywhere. "But for me, for your team; think about talking to this guy?"

Callen nodded and reluctantly Gibbs stood up and headed for the house.

"Oh!" He added turning back to the slightly hunched figure on the bench, "Hetty says to tell you not to even consider leaving the house or she will have you microchipped."

Callen couldn't help the smile or the laugh that followed. "Tell her I know she's had me microchipped since I was a teenager, she'll be upgrading me to Lojack next."

Even Gibbs couldn't help the smile as he left going to deliver his news to Hetty.

Hetty was standing at the island in her kitchen talking in low tones with two men showing them files that she had on both Marco and Callen.

"It isn't much I know. You have to understand that my file on Mr. Callen is larger as I know more about his time with The Calling, at least as much as he was willing to share." She stopped as Gibbs entered the room.

The two men opened the files and began to read the first page of both, then shut the files.

"That's it?" Gibbs asked.

"Just need basics. The rest we will learn from them." The older of the two men said. He smiled offering his hand, "Robert Carter, this is my partner, Paul Harris."

Gibbs took his hand and shook it. "Gibbs."

Carter stifled a smirk, "Like Prince right?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "Shrinks and lawyers," He sighed to himself as he reached for the coffee machine to pour himself a cup.

"Not a fan?" Harris asked.

Gibbs smirked as he took a sip, "Not particularly." He admitted. "So you're the deprogrammers?" He asked.

"We prefer the term Exit Counselors." Carter replied, "We do not kidnap people nor do we brainwash them. However we will help both Mr. Marsino and Mr. Callen overcome what they have suffered at the hands of The Calling."

"Good luck with that." Gibbs said slightly sarcastically. He really hoped they could help Marco, but with Callen's experience with counselors and therapists alike he doubted they could help, but for his friend he was willing to let them try.

Carter looked at the two files, "We'll take Marco first. He has been a member of this group since he was four right?"

Hetty nodded, "He was, it is all he knows."

"Right, where is he?" Harris asked.

"Locked in the pantry." Gibbs replied and held in a smile at the shock on both men's faces.

"Locked….?"

"He's under arrest right now, you help him and it will make things better for him. But he will be charged, there is no two ways about it. Espionage and attempted murder. But if he cooperates with you and you can get him to see where he was wrong we can appeal to the judge for a lesser sentence."

They opened the door to the pantry to find Marco sat on the flagstone floor with his knees pulled up to his chest.

"Boss?" Marco looked up at Gibbs.

"Got some people who want to talk to you Marco." Gibbs offered his hand to help him up.

Marco glared at him but offered an elbow reminding Gibbs that he was still handcuffed.

Helping him up Gibbs turned to him. "I know right now you believe you're right, but you are facing charges of espionage and attempted murder. There are people out there that care about you. Work with these guys and please let us all help you."

For a second Marco looked at Gibbs in shock, then a slow smile spread across his face. "The big Leroy Jethro Gibbs… Begging?"

Gibbs sighed, "Move it Marco. I will be taking the cuffs off but you will not be able to escape from this house." He warned as he maneuvered Marco into a large sunlit room.

"What no dungeon?" Marco quipped as he was taken into the room and the handcuffs removed. Gibbs sat him down in a chair.

"Behave and work with these guys Marsino, they are here to help you."

"I don't need help. It's you who are wrong." He shook his head.

Hetty had been cunning in her choice of room. Marco was trying not to listen to these men. He was struck by the calming colors and the dappled sunlight that filtered through the light blinds in the sun-room. Despite himself, he felt himself relaxing as Carter and Harris talked to him in their own calming tones.

Carter shot a sidelong glance of approval at his partner as they both saw Marco relaxing.

"So… Marco, tell us about you." Carter asked as he leaned back on the couch.

"What's to tell, you have a file." He said not trusting them.

"Na; That tells us about the you, you portray, the Marco Marsino the establishment know about. I wanna know about you. What are your likes,your interests. What do you like to do to relax. I know your alter ego, Tony DiNozzo liked movies, what about you do you like movies?"

Marco smiled a little, the smile just nudging the corner of his mouth. "Some." He admitted. "I like musicals." He admitted. "Tony was a James Bond man. Not really my thing, but you know…"

Carter nodded, "You played your part well." He praised him earning a bit more of a smile.

"I like the sound of Music, Ziva… she worked with us for a while used to make me play it as she thought it annoyed me."

"And she never caught on that you like it?" Harris asked surprised.

Marco's smile turned into a smirk, "Not a clue and she was Mossad."

Both men looked impressed and Marco relaxed just a tiny bit more.

Inside both men knew they would be able to help him and started working on the slow task of counselling The Calling out of Marco.

Opening the doors of the mission and walking in Callen felt the same feeling he had felt when returning from sick leave after being shot seven years ago.

He'd met with his team outside of work, they had all assured him that they trusted him. Having been debriefed by Director Vance a week earlier, he was looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.

It was still early as he put his bag down on his desk.

"Nervous Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked as she walked around the side of the bullpen.

"A little." He admitted.

She patted his arm, "You are back where you belong." She assured him. He moved the bag from the desk to the floor and headed to the kitchen.

"Tea?" He called.

Hetty nodded and knowing that Callen would use her teapot and cups she walked to her desk and waited for him to join her.

"Chamomile." Callen informed her as he placed the tea things in front of her.

"You think you need it?" Hetty asked.

Callen nodded. One thing he had got from the exit counseling was that he and Hetty had a more open relationship. He had learned that hiding what he was feeling wasn't a sign of weakness. That having family to confide in was alright, even if they were not blood.

"How did your meeting with Director Vance go?" She asked.

"You didn't read the report?!" Callen asked surprised.

Hetty smiled, "I read the official report. I understand you are up for a commendation, well done."

Callen smiled sadly, "I already told him I don't deserve it, I don't want it either."

"However…." Hetty cut over him, "I wanted to know from your perspective how your meeting with Director Vance went."

Callen shrugged. "It was alright, I guess. He asked if I was still seeing Harris and Carter."

"Are you?"

"No. I had my last session with Carter yesterday, which is why I postponed dinner." He explained. "I think I'm in a good place, I told him he could send you a report, but he thinks I'm going to be alright as well."

"I will look forward to reading it."

There was a noise as the others started coming into work.

Hetty patted his hand encouragingly and Callen went to join them in the bullpen.

"You seen that pile of paperwork you've got G?" Sam smirked as he sat down.

"Yep." Callen had glanced at it. "You didn't help me out?"

Sam raised an eyebrow in surprise, "When was the last time you did my leftover paperwork?" He asked glad that the answering question got a smile out of his friend.

"I would do it, but you never leave anything undone." He replied, pleased that they didn't make a big thing of his return to duty. He settled down and got back to the business at hand. Being part of his team.

Marco sat in the bright sun room in the rehabilitation center. It was a day he'd been both dreading and looking forward to. Visitor day.

He'd been working with Carter and Harris for six months, it had taken a lot of pain and heartache before he had come to finally accept that The Calling was wrong. Still parts of him longed for the family he had left behind, but he knew that taking and training young children to be assassins, teaching them that The Calling would be the saving grace of the world was wrong.

However, he still missed the structure that The Calling had given him and the indefinable sense that he was part of something better than himself, something right and pure.

He had found himself spending a few months adrift, exploring his feelings over what had happened and then trying to find himself.

This proved harder than Carter had told him it would be and for a month Marco had found himself swinging between the easygoing persona of Tony DiNozzo and the more tougher and worldly wise Marco Marsino. When Carter had said that he could have a visitor there were only two people Marco wanted to see.

Callen and Gibbs.

Callen had been surprised when he'd received the letter from the center asking him if he would visit with Marco and had thought about it long and hard. Gibbs on the other hand had jumped at the chance. He'd caught the first plane to Los Angeles and had arranged to meet with Callen before going on to visit with Marco.

Callen sat at the same meeting point they had used nearly 8 years earlier when the Blackbird Case had brought Gibbs and McGee to Los Angeles. Callen getting there early revelling in the calm that the scene before him gave him.

"You good?" Gibbs asked as he walked over and joined Callen on the bench.

Callen leaned forward for a moment putting his hands on his knees, "I've had better days." He admitted. "But I'm good."

Gibbs smiled slightly, "Good to hear. I hear you turned down a commendation. You didn't want to take it?" He asked.

"Do you ever take yours?" Callen sighed. "I turned it down for a reason Gibbs, I didn't deserve it. I'm ok. I'm getting on with my life."

"That's good to hear." Gibbs said again. "I got a letter from Marco, I'm going to go and visit him this afternoon. Are you going?"

Callen shrugged, "I don't know. I mean what do I say to him? I put that behind me. I am more focused on my team right now. Kensi and Deeks are planning their wedding, Sam's daughter Kamran is going to be a flower girl." Callen smiled, "It's nice to get away from all the wedding talk at the office. Even Hetty and Nell are consumed by it when we don't have a case."

Gibbs couldn't help the laugh that escaped, "Why do you think I had rule 12. No dating means no weddings. How is Hetty?"

"She's good, we are getting on better."

Gibbs waited silently as Callen readjusted his focus towards the Ocean.

"I'm worried Gibbs." He finally admitted. "I have put The Calling behind me. I don't want to be a part of it, I don't want to think about it. When Marco's letter arrived through the internal mail I was worried I might fall back. What if Marco isn't really cured… isn't free of them? What if he wants to get me back into The Calling? I'm not sure I would be strong enough to get away again."

"I believe the reports I've gotten from Carter and Harris. Marco is getting there. He still has a way to go, but they think a visit from us might help him."

"How?" Callen asked truly intrigued.

"Carter said that Marco is still finding his true self. You knew him before, when he was younger a part of him I never knew. I knew DiNozzo… maybe we could help him feel safe enough to find the person mixed up in all of that. You don't have to go Callen, you've got your life back and no one will blame you if you don't want to visit him, but he was my friend for 13 years and I miss him." Gibbs said bluntly.

"I'll think about it, but not today ok Jethro?" Callen said.

Gibbs nodded, "You take your time, I'll let him know you saw his letter and are considering it."

Callen stood up, "I gotta get back to work." He said and shook the older man's hand. "You got somewhere to stay?" He asked.

Gibbs shook his head, "Was gonna look after I met with you." He admitted.

Callen took a key off his key ring and handed it to Gibbs, "My place. I'll text you the address, it has a spare room. It's even got a bed."

Gibbs nodded, impressed. "Thanks, I'll buy dinner tonight." He offered.

"Good, I'll be back by eight."

Marco watched from the window of the meeting room as Gibbs stood outside the center, mentally preparing himself for the meeting.

He knew what Gibbs was doing having seen him do it many times before and he thought that maybe this time he was feeling the same thing as he was. Nervousness, trepidation, worry.

He turned back to the room. It was bright and airy, he'd made sure that they had made some decent coffee for Gibbs, he himself preferred tea so they had bought a tray of that as well.

Marco found himself pacing as he waited, worried about what Gibbs would say to him. He knew he couldn't atone for what he had done, but he needed to try, just a little bit. He was afraid Gibbs would be angry at him, blame him for the death of Dorneget, or for Luke Harris shooting him.

He turned back to look out of the window as he heard a knock and the door opened.

"Di… Marco…?"

Marco turned and smiled. "Gibbs, Thank you for coming."

He felt nervous and he rubbed his hands down the side of his legs nervously instead of shaking Gibbs' hand as he wanted to do. "Please sit down." He said and sat in the chair.

"How are you?" Gibbs asked.

"Better…" Marco laughed nervously, "It's not like I was sick, just… stupid."

Gibbs shook his head, "I talked to Carter and Harris, you were not stupid. You were just raised to believe in something that wasn't real. That is not your fault."

Marco sighed and looked at his hands for a moment. "Yeah, but people were hurt because of my actions, good people…" He looked up and smiled for a moment. "Sorry, I am being a bad host, Coffee?" He asked looking over to the coffee pot on the table between them.

Gibbs eyed it warily.

"Don't worry, it's your blend. Carter arranged for Elaine to send some beans to us to grind."

Gibbs smiled and nodded, "You gonna have some too?" He asked, looking for the hazelnut creamer that DiNozzo used to pour in his coffee.

Marco shook his head, "I don't like coffee, I have some tea." He said looking at the teapot beside the coffee pot and pouring himself out a cup."

Gibbs was surprised at that, but took the coffee that Marco handed him and took an appreciative sip.

"So, tell me about you Marco?"

"What do you mean Gibbs?" Marco asked. He had been expecting a lot of questions, but not that one. "I thought you would want to ask me about what I did while I was with The Calling, you know finish your interrogation?"

Gibbs shook his head, "I came to see a friend."

Marco sat on the couch sadly. "Tony DiNozzo was a fake, everything about him was a fake. He doesn't exist Gibbs. I'm sorry, but if that is who you were hoping for, he isn't here anymore."

Gibbs moved and sat facing him.

"I worked for a long time with a man who had many many masks. His name was never important to me, but occasionally I got to see the man behind the mask. Not the Frat boy, the joker or the movie addict; but the man. That man was my friend and I think… I think he's still here."

Marco looked up, a small light of hope in his eyes. He had missed Jethro, the man that the boy hiding inside the man had looked to for guidance. The person who Marco could be his true self with. The only person who he had ever been his true self with, in brief doses.

"I am Jethro." He said softly.

"So… Tell me about you?"

Marco smiled; not a DiNozzo, 1000 watt, cocky smile, but a Marco, hopeful but hesitant smile. A real smile.

"What do you want to know?"

Marco shook his head, the water droplets splaying everywhere as he grabbed a towel and dried his hair leaning his surfboard into the sand.

He'd been released from the center a month earlier and had decided to rent an apartment in Los Angeles.

He was still seeing Carter on a week by week basis. He loved the diversity that Los Angeles had to offer and had even found a part time job playing piano in a small restaurant in Venice. He'd had enough money saved during his time being Tony DiNozzo to be able to afford a modest seafront apartment. Marco was different to Tony in many ways, Where Tony was loud, Marco was quiet. Where Tony was a womanizer, Marco wasn't. In fact, since finding himself, Marco hadn't dated a single woman. Marco was friends with his boss, Pete Michaels, who was a friend of Carter's, having found out about Marco's love for music and his talent with the guitar and the piano had talked to his friend about the job in his restaurant.

Jethro came once a month for a long weekend, they talked for hours and then spent the time sailing and Jethro was surprised to see that Marco was training to take part in a triathlon and he gladly spent some of the time watching as his friend trained, sometimes swimming alongside him.

Marco had a taste for good food and was a pretty good cook.

For Marco, life couldn't get better, the one dark cloud in his life was the amount of guilt, he hung onto for bringing Callen into The Calling and for what he personally had done to him.

It was coming up to eight months since he had been sent to the center and had been, thanks to Director Vance and Gibbs, cleared of all charges after completing rehabilitation. But more than anything, he still wanted to be able to talk to Callen.

Gibbs had passed on the message that Callen had received Marco's request for a meeting, but had been considering it. Every time Marco asked all Gibbs could tell him was that Callen was on a case or out of the country.

It was the one black cloud on his shiny bright future.

Callen was tired when he got back to his house. He'd had a busy day and had finally wrapped up a case that had taken three days to finish. He'd spent the last two nights on the couch at OSP but knew now the case was finished he had to go home. He tried to avoid being alone as much as possible, but he was exhausted. Sam had left to go to his home ordering Callen to go home after he had tried to get him to go to a bar with him. Kensi and Deeks had driven off both refusing to join him and Hetty had a meeting with Granger.

Opening the door, not sure what to do with his bad mood he stopped as he heard a noise in his kitchen.

Pulling his service weapon he put his bag inside the door and closed it quietly. He heard his fridge door close and a beer bottle being opened.

"Put that away and come and sit down!" A man's voice floated through from the kitchen, "I got take out for you."

Callen sighed "Good I'm starving!" He called back and put the gun away, kicking off his shoes as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed the bottle from the side. He sat at the table as indicated by his guest and waited as a plate was placed in front of him.

"When did you get here?" He asked.

"A few days ago, used your spare key."

Callen took a mouthful of the Chinese food and swallowed nodding in thanks at his friend. "You visiting Marco?"

Gibbs shook his head, "Not this time, maybe later. I'm here for you." He told him.

Callen choked slightly on his drink and placed it on the table, "Me? Why?"

"Got a call from Hetty, she's worried about you."

"I'm fine." Callen said too quickly.

Gibbs nodded, not believing him.

"Honestly Jethro, It's just been a busy few days." He took another drink.

Gibbs sat down across from him, "Nice table." He said and started eating.

"Gift from a friend, she thought I needed a table."

"She?"

Callen smiled sadly, "We aren't together anymore."

"You broke up with Anna?" Gibbs was surprised.

Callen smiled, "Nope, this was Joelle," the smile dropped away, "She was a mark… I didn't mean to use her, but…" He stopped talking and looked intently at the bottle. "I hurt so many people, I should have told Vance earlier about The Calling and what I knew."

"Joelle was a mark?"

Callen nodded, "I knew The Calling were still looking into recruiting, I thought I could stop them on my own. When Sam set me up with Joelle, I saw it as a good way to keep my ear to the ground. She is a schoolteacher, I figured if they were recruiting again, she might tell me about kids in need, kids she thought they might target. I never loved her but she loved me and I used her." He told him his voice muted by the pain of his actions.

"And Anna?" Gibbs pushed.

Callen smiled, unable to help himself. "I love her. She knows who I am and everything about me."

"You see a future there?" Gibbs asked, putting his own bottle on the table.

"I hope so, but…" He sighed again.

"Hetty said you were alright, cleared to go back to work."

"I was, I am alright…. I… Just…" Callen shrugged.

"You feel like something from The Calling isn't finished?" Gibbs guessed.

"I don't want anything to do with it." Callen snapped.

Gibbs sat there and just looked at him, waiting.

Callen got up and started pacing the room. "It's over Gibbs, The Calling is gone, you know that and I know that. I've talked to those shrinks. I'm good."

"Yet you haven't moved on with your life."

"I have!" Callen argued, "I am working! Life goes on Gibbs, it always goes on and I always move on."

Gibbs stood up and walked over to his friend. "You're hurting Callen, Hetty has seen it for months. She's worried about you, she doesn't know what you haven't told the exit counselors, but she is worried."

"I told them everything." Callen lied.

"Marco told them everything, he's moved on. He's a piano player in a restaurant in Venice. He has a new life and new friends. He still wants to see you."

"I can't…" Callen turned and took his plate to the kitchen sink, his mind wandering back to the times he had, as a child stood there as Mrs Rostoff had told him how washing dishes helped her relax and how he could always let the water take his troubles as he did the work. He had always thought it was impossible, but with his hands in the soapy water, he did feel his inner turmoil subsiding slightly.

Gibbs switched on the coffee machine as he watched Callen busy himself in the kitchen, his gut telling him to wait it out.

Callen wanted to tell Gibbs, but he felt that if he came out and said it, he would seem like a whiny child.

He wasn't, he was a man and he'd work through it the same way he always did.

Alone.

Gibbs leaned back in his chair, "You don't need to, you know." He said, even though his voice was quiet it reverberated around the room.

Callen jumped, feeling caught as he heard the words.

"I don't need to what?" He asked.

"Work on whatever is bothering you alone." Gibbs looked at him with a mixture of resignation and sadness.

"Nothing… Nothing is bothering me." Callen snapped.

"Grisha." Gibbs stood up and walked towards him, "You trust me right?"

"Of course Gibbs. I trust you, but I can't tell you what I don't know."

Gibbs grabbed himself and Callen a cup of coffee and then gesturing to the porch at the back of the house he took his cup and went and sat down.

Within a few minutes Callen joined him.

"Marco." Gibbs said and watched as Callen bristled. He gave a sly smile and waited.

"What about him?" Callen asked guardedly.

"You haven't been to see him yet."

Callen took a gulp of his coffee wincing as the hot liquid scalded his throat.

"You need the closure as much as he does." Gibbs said, "He's moved on with his life."

"Good for him!" Callen snapped.

Gibbs ignored him and tried again, "He's moved on with his life, the only thing holding him back is you."

"Me?!" Callen finally turned and looked at Gibbs stunned. "Why?"

"He feels guilty for bringing you into all of this, he needs to talk to you and I think you need to talk to him."

For a moment he felt trapped, he stood up and started pacing again as Hetty's words from a few days ago came flooding back to him.

"You need to talk to someone Grisha, if it isn't me find someone. I can see you're hurting and it's going to eat at you if you don't trust anyone."

He had turned, his heart breaking at her words. He trusted her and the fact that she had thought he didn't trust her hurt. But this was too big, he couldn't… could he?

He closed his eyes to the pain he was feeling and sank down onto the porch his elbows resting on his knees and his eyes focusing intently on the coffee mug held between them.

"I would never have found them if it wasn't for Marco." He said softly. "I looked up to him."

"Tell me about it." Gibbs said.

For a moment Callen shook his head, then with a wry smile as he imagined Hetty shaking her head at him in disappointment, he started talking.

"I was in a bad place when Marco found me, I had been running from a… Well, a not so nice foster placement and I was on the streets and injured. I had just stolen some food and was being chased by a beat cop when Marco helped me. He sent the cop in the opposite direction to the place I was hiding. He took me to Alexei's home and I say Danny there. Danny had been missing a while, but he wasn't hurt. They were treating him well. I was there for a while, I started to relax. I started to feel… I started to trust. I had spent so long keeping me safe, but I wanted what Marco had. A man whom he called father, someone who cared, a home." Callen blinked holding back the emotions that were inside him. "They made me believe that families were real, that I could be a part of a family. It was a lie Gibbs. It was all a lie!" He stood up and paced again, tipping the last of the coffee from his mug onto the grass and putting the mug down. "I was stupid!" Callen snapped. "I can't… What the hell am I supposed to say to him? I'm sorry you had your life screwed over, I'm sorry you trusted The Calling, I'm sorry you screwed over my life! I'm sorry I trusted you, I'm sorry I grew up wanting to be like you! I'm Sorry! I'm Sorry… Ok Gibbs, I can't…." He collapsed as all the angst and pain he was feeling came out of him.

Within moments Gibbs sat behind him and pulled him into his arms.

Callen jumped at the contact, but Gibbs held on tighter, "It's ok Grisha, it's ok to feel hurt by this."

Callen pulled away, "No… No, it's not. I made the mistake, it's all on me. I shouldn't have… Listen Gibbs I can't talk to Marco and tell him I've forgiven him, I haven't and I'm not sure I will. I'm not even sure who I am more mad at him or me?"

"You?" Gibbs looked confused.

"I should have known better."

Callen stood outside the building and paced, Gibbs leaning against the car watched him, torn between feeling worried or amused. He knew that Callen was planning something, but he didn't know what.

"It isn't gonna bite ya know." He told the young man.

"I know." Callen snapped back, although the smirk in his tone was evident. He wasn't mad at Jethro, he was just trying to prepare himself for the meeting to come. He couldn't let Gibbs know what he was planning, but it had been eating away at him for a while. He needed to do this.

Gibbs smiled, "It's not an undercover assignment you know?" He threw out there and his smile grew wider as Callen stopped and glared at him.

"I know, that I can handle. But this…?" He stopped before he gave too much away and Gibbs stopped him from what he needed to do.

"Grisha." Gibbs grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him to face the older man, "This is ok. It is ok to be you. It is alright to have feelings remember?"

Callen nodded and blew out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"Come on Carter's waiting." Gibbs said not telling him if Marco was there yet or not.

Callen took a deep breath and walked into the building. Gibbs gave him a sidelong glance noticing that Callen had yet again adopted another persona, but for now he let it go.

Callen smiled inwardly, if he was going to do this he would do it undercover and who better for him to be than Tony DiNozzo. He channelled all he knew about DiNozzo and with a cocky grin plastered on his face, he jogged up the stairs to Carter's office.

Marco sat with his back to a large picture window, facing the door and drinking a bottle of water.

Carter sat waiting for Callen and Gibbs to arrive. "Are you sure you are up for this?" He asked.

"I need to apologize, he needs to know that I didn't mean what happened." Marco said as Carter nodded. Marco gave a curt laugh, "It's like a twelve step program and this is my last step. I can't make amends to all of them, but Callen I can."

"Gibbs said that Callen had been reluctant to come to this meeting, did he tell you why he changed his mind?" Carter asked.

Marco shook his head, "I don't know, but hopefully he'll be open to listening to me."

"It goes both ways Marco remember, you have to listen to him as well."

Marco nodded, "I will and thank you for letting us do this here."

They looked up as the door knocked and Callen strode in with a huge smile on his face. "Hey guys!"

Carter smiled and extended his hand, "Callen I'm glad you agreed to this meeting." He looked behind him to the confused face of Gibbs who had no idea about Callen's change of attitude.

Callen was almost vibrating with anticipation, finally… It was nearly here.

"Marco…" Callen smiled and Marco winced at the undercurrent of something dangerous in his voice and stance.

Gibbs moved as Marco stood up, "Callen… I just want to talk." He said.

Callen didn't sit, instead he walked up to the picture window and stared out at the view of Venice Beach.

"So talk." He said, not looking at any of them, his hand moving slowly to his front pocket.

"I know you hate me," Marco started raising a hand and a nod at Gibbs to sit down and relax.

Both Carter and Gibbs did so, Gibbs trusting his ex-SFA's judgement. Callen didn't reply and Marco continued.

"We should have talked during the exit counselling. I know you have a lot that you need to say to me. I need to apologize for my part in your indoctrination into The Calling."

"I don't blame you for that." Callen said still not looking at him, "You were a child. You didn't know."

Marco let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding in.

"You don't?" He asked confused. Something in him, something in the training he had been indoctrinated with still said that Callen was radiating danger towards him.

Finally, slowly Callen turned with a smile that Marco knew very, very well, the fake smile he had used as Tony DiNozzo.

"Of course I don't blame you for that." Callen took a step towards Marco, then in a second his pace increased and before Gibbs or Carter could react Callen had Marco slammed against the wall his arm across his throat restricting his breathing.

"CALLEN!" Gibbs shouted as he noticed the glint of a knife in his other hand.

Marco held his hand up to keep Gibbs back. He wasn't sure how this was going to go, but something in him said to let this play out, for now.

"You killed Alexei, you tried to kill me, you thought I would let that go?"

"Callen you don't need to do this." Carter said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Marco looked Callen straight in the eye. "Roberto was my father. Even if he wasn't genetically, he was all I knew. I was messed up and I made a mistake. If you feel that you need to kill me to get revenge then do so. But it will make you a murderer can you live with that?"

Callen smirked, "You ever heard of Comescu?"

Marco paled, "You worked for them?" The Calling had worked with the Comescu family and even Marco had avoided them where possible, they were, in his opinion worse than any perpetrator he had met during his time as Anthony DiNozzo.

"I killed them. All of them. Romani blood feud, they killed my mother. You killed the man who I thought of as my father. You honestly thought I would let it go?!" He growled.

"Will this bring him back? Did killing the Comescu's bring your mother back?" Carter asked.

Callen winced slightly his hold tightening on Marco's throat. Marco shot the counselor a panicked look hoping that he wouldn't make things worse.

Callen shifted his stance slightly. It hadn't brought his mother back, it hadn't saved his family, but he was Roma, he was a gypsy and the blood that ran through his veins screamed for revenge.

"This isn't the way G." Gibbs said softly.

"He murdered Alexei. He tried to kill me."

"We talked about that, remember Callen?" Carter said, "You know that Alexei wasn't your father."

Callen gave a short, barked laugh, "I'm not crazy Carter, I know that. I've met my father. My point is that Marco killed Alexei to get to me, he would have killed me, then who… Anna? Hetty? How do I know they will be safe with him swanning around L.A. Unpunished for his crimes."

"The district attorney said there was no case to answer, he is as much as victim of The Calling as you are."

"I AM NOT A VICTIM!" Callen snarled.

"I'm sorry." Carter said softly, holding his hands up in supplication. "Not a victim, of course, a survivor of The Calling then."

"This isn't about that." Callen snapped, "He killed Alexei!"

"You cared about him a great deal didn't you?" Carter said nothing as Callen hand wavered slightly uncertain at his words.

"Sit down, I know Marco isn't going anywhere, none of us will. We talked about this Callen, I was assured that you held no ill will to Marco."

Callen laughed sourly, "I lied, you aren't the first therapist I've seen Doc. I know how the dance goes."

"You're still enamoured by The Calling? You still think they are right?" Carter asked surprised.

Callen shook his head sharply inadvertently stepping back from Marco, whose hand moved to his neck to quickly check the damage.

"Of course I don't think they are right!" Callen snapped.

"So why attack Marco?" Carter asked, his voice still level and calm.

"I never killed his father, but he killed Alexei." Callen said, glaring in hatred of a man he had once called friend.

"The man who ran The Calling in Los Angeles? He was special to you?" Carter asked. During the whole of their time counselling Callen hadn't mentioned his feelings to Alexei. They had tried to get him to talk, but eventually he had convinced them that he had thought of the couple only as foster parents nothing more. Carter was beginning to think he had made a mistake.

Callen shook his head, "No… just another foster parent that is all."

"You would try and kill someone over a foster parent, you felt nothing for?"

"Alexei was ill, but he didn't deserve that."

"So you think he would attack two innocent women? Anna and Hetty?"

Callen shook his head, "I don't know, maybe… I mean he is out to destroy those I care about because he thought I killed his father."

"Roberto was not my father Callen, but I did care for him like one. I was upset when he died, but I know now that what I thought and felt about him and The Calling were wrong. I am truly sorry about Alexei. I did what I was trained to do, what you would have done in my situation. What I thought you had done."

Callen wouldn't look at them. "Alexei was just…"

"He was not just another foster parent G. They might believe you, but I saw you two together." Marco argued, "He was your father, you cared about him!"

Callen shook his head, "I don't care about him, he was just…"

"Just the first adult to treat you like a human being? Like you mattered and now he's gone and you hurt right?"

Callen looked down, Marco was right, but if he admitted it…

"It's ok G." Gibbs told him, "No one here will think you weak or think any less of you."

"He was a criminal, I shouldn't care." Callen's voice was cracked, full of pain. "I didn't care… I don't… I did my job… but…" He couldn't continue as he turned away to hide the tears that were threatening to spill. "He was dying anyway. I knew that. But… damn… he still cared about me, as if we had never been separated. He reminded me of Sam when he sees Aiden during vacation, he cared like, I suppose a father does. He did that for me! No one has ever done that for me… Why Gibbs? Why did he do that? Why did he care so much? Why did he have to die?"

Gibbs wanted to go over and wrap his arms around his distraught friend, but he knew that Callen needed to get this out of his system, for him and also so he wouldn't go attacking Marco again.

"Why does everyone who ever cares about me die?" Callen got up and turned away. "I'm sorry Marco." He said quietly and looked over at the door wanting nothing more than to leave. "I can't blame you for this, it's my fault I should have stayed away from them."

"Them?" Carter asked, confused.

"Dom, Hunter, My mother, Alexei… all of them. I just get people killed."

Carter nodded to Gibbs, who gently guided Callen back to the couch as Marco headed off to the kitchen to give the three men some space.

"Did you kill them?" Carter asked.

Callen sighed, "It's my fault I got too close. Dom… he was only a kid, new at the job and I didn't train him properly, didn't warn him about alternate routes. Hunter… I started to like her… Janvier killed her because I liked her, My mother… she was trying to save me and she died. Alexei… He was my… my foster parent and he was killed because Marco thought I had killed his father, you see! It is all my fault!"

For a moment Carter resisted the urge to smile, now he understood why Hetty had given him all the extra information on Callen that she had. This wasn't all about The Calling, this was him. The things he kept hidden in the dark all flooding to the surface in an eruption of pain. He had read how Nate Getz had tried to get Callen to open up on these subject, but Callen had sidestepped him all the time. Now, with Marco being the catalyst Callen couldn't stop it.

He sat there staring at his hands, not even noticing that now both Marco and Gibbs had left the room leaving him alone with the exit counselor.

Marco looked guilty as he leaned against the counter in the kitchen, drinking from a bottle of water.

"I'm sorry Gibbs." He said.

Gibbs looked at Marco confused, "What for?" He asked.

"Callen. He's your friend and I did this to him. He's right to hate me." He took a drink and sighed, "I wanted to cause him pain when I thought that he was going to hurt The Calling, but the water wasn't targeted at Alexei or anyone, there wasn't enough in there to kill anyone, just make them ill."

"Alexei was already ill, Cancer." Gibbs said, "His immune system was compromised."

"I was hurting and Callen is right to blame me. If I hadn't dosed the water, he wouldn't have died."

"You don't know that for a fact." Gibbs argued.

"Don't I?" Marco turned to look at Gibbs. "I wanted Callen to hurt like I was hurting, I never realized that he had been hurting all along. I thought that by introducing him to The Calling I was helping him. I didn't know Jethro. I wanted him to feel some of the safety and comfort I felt with Senior… Roberto."

Gibbs smiled and patted Marco on the shoulder. "You both went through a lot with them. I know one thing about you, you have a kind heart. After all those years working with me, I do know that. Whether as Tony DiNozzo or Marco Marsino your heart was always the same."

"I wanted Callen to know. I know now that what I thought was true wasn't. I know that he didn't kill Roberto. I know that the Calling wasn't true. But I didn't know that then. Jethro? Do you think he'll ever forgive me?"

Gibbs could see the pain on Marco's face as he asked the question, but at that moment he truly didn't know the answer.

For four hours Callen talked, he had never done this in his life, and he had no idea why he was doing it now. He had done the exit counseling, he had done the dance before and walked out his secrets intact on the other side. Now he had started opening up, he could not stop and he was furious with himself.

Callen paced around, shooting glances towards the other room where he knew that Marco and Gibbs were waiting for Carter to call them back in, but he could not stop talking.

All the while, however, Carter sat there, nodding where needed, not judging, just listening. Callen cringed at what he was revealing; he sounded in his own ears like he was whining. He stopped pacing and sat exhausted on the couch.

"Thank you." Carter said softly, as Callen breathed heavily with his head in his hands.

"What?" Callen looked Carter right in the eyes in surprise.

"It must have taken a lot to tell me all of that. I will admit some of it I knew from the information I was given by Ms. Lange on you, but you filled in a lot of her blanks too."

A cold dread filled Callen as he took in Carter's words.

"Hetty knew?" He sighed and gave a short resigned laugh, "Of course she knew; she knows everything."

"Not everything. However, the information on the training camps in the Calling that you divulged and their methods will need to be reported so that if we find other children we can help them. The information you shared on your upbringing, that can remain confidential… But…?"

Callen shook his head sharply. "NO!" he shouted.

"At least let me report him to the police, to check he isn't still fostering." Carter pleaded.

"He's not… not fostering anyway." Callen said, not meeting his eye. He had checked into Rowan and made sure the man was unable to do anything to anyone.

Well, that was another box he would never open, except to allow a few moments of self satisfaction as he remembered Rowan's screams when he had gotten his revenge. The man would live, but never would he be intimate with anyone again.

"What that man did to you was evil… no wonder you ran from him and fell into The Callings clutches, it must have seemed like heaven compared to that?" Carter continued, wondering at the slight smile that played on the corner of Callen's mouth.

"I hadn't meant to mention that, can we please just forget I said it... Please?" Callen breathed.

"You needed to talk about it Grisha. In my opinion, it is the reason you clung to your ideal of Alexei. What Pete Rowan did to you was wrong, and you were desperate to find someone who cared, without 'that'. I understand what you were looking for and Alexei gave you that."

Callen shuddered at the mention of his name.

Although the memories of Alexei were fresh, he had all but buried the memory of Pete and what he had been running from.

When Callen had first been placed in the home of Pete and his wife Carol, Pete had seemed slick and cool in Callen's eyes. Carol was a bubbly redhead who Callen had gotten along with instantly.

During the first few days, Carol had taken him shopping, treating him to new clothes and a Walkman personal stereo, something he had seen the kids in school own and never thought he would. This was the first thing he had ever owned that had been new and, he thought, with no strings attached.

Then Carol's sister had gotten sick, so she had gone to New York to visit, leaving Callen with her husband.

Pete had been charming; he had shown Callen his motorbike letting him help with the engine. Callen had loved the smell of the oil and the chance to fix things with his hands, not noticing when Pete had leaned over behind him, his hands brushing Callen's as he had pulled out the spark plugs to clean them. It was not until a few days after Carol had left, that Pete showed his true colors. Callen dealing with it the only way he knew how, by jumping out of the window and leaving that house and that man far behind him and burying the memory down deep, in a box in his mind marked, 'Do not ever open!'.

Unfortunately, during his meltdown, Callen had let out everything that had happened, explaining how much better Alexei had been to him in his mind. His comparison at that time had been what he had just escaped from. Alexei had earned the boy's respect in a way that few adults ever had, this had made his loss hit Callen harder than he had admitted to.

Carter had made a mental note to report Rowan to the police, even if Callen would not or could not co-operate. He would have to note it in his report to Hetty, but he would have to say that although Callen was shaken by the recounting of the memories, he was not compromised by them. This was the main reason that Callen had had a harder time adjusting than Marco had.

Marco had fallen into The Calling at four years old; he had been mentally twisted of course, but not hurt like Callen had. There was no resentment on Marco's part, just sadness and confusion. Maybe that was why Marco had adjusted better. Carter felt he still needed to get both Callen and Marco to talk together, for Marco more than Callen.

Marco was pacing in the small kitchen. Gibbs had assured him that Callen was being helped and that Carter was safe. He had not gone into the room at all, but Marco knew that if Gibbs said all was well, then it was. However, a small flicker of doubt remained, after all Callen's abrupt change in demeanor had surprised them all.

"What do you think is happening?" Marco asked for about the fifth time.

Gibbs smiled, "Callen's talking."

"You think he's gonna be ok?" Marco found himself surprised at the amount of worry he had for the younger man.

Gibbs suppressed a smile. "Sure, he's gonna be fine. So tell me how's work going?" He asked, deflecting his friends' attention.

Marco smiled and took the seat across from his former boss. "It's good, I play three nights a week and alternate Sundays. Got a regular crowd that comes in, there's this little old lady, you'd like her she's a redhead. She comes in, orders a pot of coffee, listens till I'm done then leaves.

"Maybe she likes you?" Gibbs joked.

Marco laughed, "Not my type boss." He stopped as he noticed the slip.

"I'm sorry Gibbs." he said at the sad look that crossed his ex-boss's face.

Gibbs shook his head, "I missed that," he admitted. "Whether you were Marco or DiNozzo I was still ya boss and ya friend. You can use it if ya want."

Marco smiled, "I'd like that… Boss."

They lapsed into an easy silence, Gibbs reading a newspaper that had been discarded on the table, and Marco finding a book that caught his interest. Every once in awhile, his eyes straying to the closed door to the room where he knew Callen was talking to Carter.

"I can't do this," Callen shook his head as he paced the room. "I just tried to kill him!"

Carter smiled, "I know you didn't mean it, you know that Marco didn't mean it."

"He's got the right to press charges," Callen argued. "I won't stop him."

Carter stood up, "Then we had better find out don't you think?"

Callen stood stock still as Carter walked towards the kitchenette. Carter opened the door, and said something Callen couldn't hear, to the men inside.

Gibbs came out first, sizing Callen up to make sure he was not a threat. Callen gulped, he had not felt this bad since… well since he was a teenager, and Hetty had taught him that trust went both ways. Callen had hated the fact that he had let her down back then, and hated the fact that Jethro was considering him a threat now.

Callen stepped back, worried that he had ruined his friendship with the man who had never said a word, Jethro stood there with his arms crossed scrutinizing him. Then he walked across the room and slapped him up the back of the head.

"Hey!" Callen snapped.

Jethro raised an eyebrow, "You think you don't deserve it?" He said, keeping his voice low.

Callen looked down guiltily, "I do," he agreed and turned away from the man who had been his friend, unable to look him in the eye anymore. He knew that he had ruined one of the best friendships ever.

"Nothing's ruined Callen, just a bit bent. Just needs some sanding, a bit of TLC and it'll be good again," Gibbs reassured him.

Callen could not hold back the smile at the woodworking metaphor.

"So…" Gibbs said as he sat down, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Callen sighed, "I wasn't. I haven't been thinking clearly since this all started," he admitted. "I just… I hadn't planned to kill Marco, I just saw red."

Gibbs waited for a moment, "So you didn't put on a fake persona as you climbed the stairs, you didn't put a knife in your pocket and planned to kill him the moment you knew he had tried to kill Alexei?"

Callen could not deny Gibbs was right in a way, but he was also wrong.

"I did, but I hadn't decided to kill Marco, not when he tried to kill Alexei, it was more when he had made it through all this. He was moving on with his life and I was still… stuck."

"You still stuck?" Gibbs asked a bit of incredulity laced his voice.

"No… but I was way out of line, I've never felt like this before Gibbs.

It's… not me." Callen sighed, clearly unnerved about his behavior.

Gibbs nodded, "It's not, but where Marco worked with the exit counselors to clear him of all his conditioning, you didn't did you?"

Callen shrugged, "Didn't think I was conditioned; I left as a teenager. I didn't need to be talked to death, I just wanted to get back to work."

"Well, now you know," Gibbs told him flatly, not letting him know how he felt just yet. "So what ya gonna do about it?"

Walking away from the window, Callen went and stood stiffly in front of his friend.

"Rule 45," Callen said. "I need to actually 'talk' to Marco. You were right, this isn't his fault. He did what he was trained to do, then I suppose, I'd better see Hetty. I assume you told her about what happened?"

Gibbs shook his head, "I never called her; figured I'd leave the decision to you."

Callen gave a small, half smile and chuckled, "She'll probably make me spend time with Nate. Great, more counseling. I don't want to tell her, but you can't keep anything from her, you know that."

"I'm gonna trust you Callen, I'm gonna stay out in the other room with Carter. Talk to Marco, he's not that bad a guy."

Gibbs got up, and as Callen turned back to the window, Gibbs nodded at Marco as he entered the kitchen, indicating to Carter that they wait until the two men had a chance to talk.

Noticing how the younger man's shoulders seemed squared as if to brace himself from an oncoming onslaught, Marco shut the door to the kitchenette and leaned against the wall, waiting.

After a few minutes he sighed, "I am not going to hurt you Callen."

Marco smiled softly at the slight relaxing of the shoulders, but noticing the younger man was still prepared, just in case.

"You should." Callen's voice was low and hard.

Moving, Marco sank into the chair, he was not going to respond to that.

"I was out of line." Callen sighed as he moved towards the couch opposite Marco and sat down.

Marco nodded in agreement, "You were, but I understand why you did it. If the roles had been reversed I would have done the same thing."

"You would?"

Marco smiled, "I had the same training you did Grisha. We both did wrong, we just need to move on from here."

Callen nodded, "I agree."

Callen stared at the older man for a moment, not sure what to say,

Finally, he spoke. "I need to thank you, those few weeks I had with Alexei… they were important to me. You were responsible for the peace I had for a while."

Marco nodded, unsure what to say, "I didn't think I was doing anything wrong. I don't want you to hate me."

Callen turned to him, there was an undercurrent of something in his eyes, but Marco did not know what it was. "I don't hate you Marco, but I can't be your friend, in fact, if I had my way I'd like to forget you ever existed."

"So go our separate ways?" Marco asked.

Callen nodded, "Hopefully our paths will never cross."

Marco nodded. "Fair enough, what do we tell Jethro?"

For a moment Callen did not know what to say. He knew Gibbs would be disappointed in him, after all Marco had managed to maintain his friendship with Gibbs despite all that had happened. However Callen could and would walk away from this part of his life with no regrets. His only worry would be that if by doing so he would lose Gibbs as a friend.

"Tell him we're ok?" Callen replied, turning his answer into a question.

"We could, but we could tell him the truth. That we've sorted our problem out and we are moving on."

Callen chuckled, "Yeah, 'coz he'll believe that."

"It isn't lying Callen. We may not be the best of friends, but we have sorted our problem and will be moving on. I promise I won't mention you to him when he comes out to visit." For a moment Marco stopped, thinking. "You'll be ok with me still seeing Gibbs won't you. I mean, yeah I lied to him for a long time, but apart from Senior I never had any family, what I had with Gibbs was important to me. He was kinda like the father I always wanted."

Callen smiled in spite of himself, "I know the feeling. You are right though, he feels the same way about you. You're the son he always wanted. It hurt him when he found out you were lying to him. But you tried to change and you did, it meant a lot to him. It means a lot to him that you're still in his life. Don't let him down ok?"

Marco nodded, "Never will. He gave me a second chance I won't waste it."

Callen nodded and looked towards the door.

"I need to go. I can't stay here now. Tell Jethro I'm sorry. I'll call him in a few days."

Marco nodded, "Thanks Callen."

As he pulled his car into the parking lot, he scanned the crowds of people enjoying the sunny afternoon at this popular spot.

Looking past the happy families and laughing children, he spotted who he was looking for. A lone figure, sat on the top of the cliff, off the beaten path, staring out at the ocean.

"Damn you G. You know I hate this place," he grumbled to himself as he grabbed a couple of bottles of water and started the long, slightly treacherous climb to where Callen was sitting.

He stopped panting heavily as he got to the top, and took a moment to enjoy the view of the vast ocean vista, broken only by a lone cargo ship in the distance and a few catamarans enjoying the offshore breeze.

"What do you want?" Callen's voice, almost lost in the breeze jogged him out of his musings.

"Nothing," Sam said as he eased his bulk on the grass beside his partner. "Just walking."

Sam handed Callen a bottle of water, and noted with a slight stab of disappointment that he checked the seal before opening it.

It had been a long time since Callen had stopped doing that with things Sam gave him, and it hurt to think that whatever was going on with his friend, they had gone back to that.

"Weren't you supposed to be spending the day with Michelle and the kids?

Sam shrugged, "Aiden went back to the academy early, Michelle and Kam went to have their nails done, not my thing."

Callen gave a small smirk. "I don't know, a small manny paddy would do you some good."

Sam sighed, but smiled in return, the banter was a good sign; he had worried when he had gotten a call from Hetty earlier, because all she had said was, that Callen had gone off the grid and that he might be in need of his friend.

That was all it had taken for Sam to suggest the nail bar visit to Michelle and Kamran. Having already dropped Aiden off at the bus stop for Military school, he knew exactly where Callen would be, same place he always went when he was feeling low. Point Sur Lighthouse.

"So…" Sam started. "Point Sur, again?"

"I'm fine Sam." Callen snapped.

Sam nodded, not believing that for a moment; he knew his friend too well. Every time Callen felt low this was one of the few spots Sam would find him in.

"Hetty said Jethro was in town." Sam nudged.

"Yep," Callen replied, he still had not turned and looked at Sam yet, and Sam was starting to get worried.

"Did you see him?" Sam asked.

"Yep." Callen said again.

Sam suppressed the urge to shake some sense into his friend.

"Gonna use more than one syllable in a reply?" He asked.

"Nope."

"Okay." Sam waited, taking a few minutes to enjoy the view and just sit there, letting his partner know that he was not alone, but that he was not pushing him.

"I'm ok Sam." Callen said after about five minutes.

Sam knew it was a lie, but he waited to see what Callen would say.

"You don't have to be here Sam." Callen sighed.

"Yes, I do; you need me here," Sam replied. "I don't know what's been going on but I'm worried, this isn't like you. Hetty's worried too."

"What did she tell you?" Callen snapped, finally turning to look at Sam.

His eyes looked tired and the fear on his face, though quickly hidden, did not go unnoticed by his friend.

"G?" Sam's concern was palpable, and Callen flinched at how much he must have revealed.

"It's nothing Sam. I… I had to go and see Marco, let's just say it didn't go so well."

"What happened?"

Callen shook his head, "Nothing… nothing happened."

"So why are you here?"

Callen looked out across the ocean, once again wishing he was anywhere else but where he was.

"Just thinking Sam, it's been a hell of a day."

"Wanna get a drink and talk about it?" Sam asked, hoping to get Callen to move away from the edge of the cliff.

Callen sighed, stood up and wiped his hands down his jeans, "You buying?" He asked with a slight smile.

"If it gets you away from that ledge." Sam snapped.

"What?" Callen stopped and turned, looking at his partner confused.

"Dammit, Sam, I wasn't gonna jump!" Callen frowned and stalked past his partner and headed to the parking lot, leaning on the challenger and waiting for Sam to catch up with him.

"G!" Sam called as he jogged to catch up with him. "I'm sorry man ok? It's just… well, both you and I know what this place is to you."

"I told you that in confidence, it's been a long time since then."

Sam nodded in understanding. "But with all that's been going on I was worried."

"It's been tough, but I'm not suicidal Sam, I just needed to get my head together and figure out my next move."

"Have you?"

Callen did not answer and climbed into the car, then he closed the door, waiting for Sam to join him.

"So… have you?" Sam asked again.

Callen smiled, "Yeah."

Sam started the car and headed out of the parking lot, "So…" He prompted.

"I'm going to get drunk." Callen smirked.

Sam growled he knew he was being stalled. "G?"

"I'm gonna get drunk, box up this whole mess, take a day and then go back to work."

"G you need to sort this out."

Callen shrugged, "There is nothing to work out. I fucked up Sam. I let too much slip, that's on me. He has his new life, Gibbs and a whole backup crew. I'm going back to what I know. I mean, Hetty hasn't fired me. She just told me to take some time, so that is exactly what I am going to do. I figure two days, one to get drunk, one to deal with the hangover and I'm good to go."

Ten minutes later, and for Callen, one double Scotch and half a beer down, Sam finally tried again.

"So, You wanna tell me what's going on?"

"I made a mistake, I lost control. I tried to kill Marco," he stopped and waited while Sam took in what he had said.

"You… what?!"

"I saw red; he killed Alexei, I wanted to hurt him." Callen sighed. "I was wrong, okay? I know this now. I talked to Carter."

"You talked to Carter?" Sam said in surprise.

Callen laughed sourly, "Talk? I couldn't stop; it was like my mouth disconnected from my brain." He admitted.

"Do you feel better for it?" Sam asked.

Callen took a drink of his ice cold beer, he was clearly in no rush to answer Sam's question.

"Yeah, Sam, yeah… I think I do." Callen replied after thinking a few seconds.

Sam smiled, "Well then, why the moping at Point Sur?"

"I wasn't moping," Callen snapped as he turned the beer absent-mindedly in his hand. "I was thinking."

Sam smiled, "Looked like moping to me."

"Yeah, well, you were wrong." Callen was unable to resist the small smile he shot in his partner's direction.

"Me? Wrong… never." Sam smirked at his friend. "You, Grisha Aleksandrovich Nikolaev Callen, were moping."

Callen full out laughed, "You've been dying to do that for a while haven't you?"

Sam nodded, "Of course. I wanted to be the first to, full name you for doing something."

"Well, the honor is all yours." Callen could not resist the chuckle that escaped him as he said it.

"You feeling better?" Sam asked as Callen pushed away his beer.

Callen nodded, "Yeah, I've had enough. It just sucks that I sabotaged myself again and lost a good friend through it."

Sam looked at him worried, but Callen shook his head, "It doesn't matter; life is like that, people come into your life and then they leave. I'll miss him, but Marco needs him more in his life than I do." He mused, not realizing he was talking aloud.

Callen had no need to say who he was talking about; Sam knew it was Gibbs.

"I have two kids G." Sam said quietly.

Callen looked up at him, his head cocked at an angle trying to understand what his partner was talking about.

"I know that Sam." He shrugged.

"I love both of them." Sam stated. "I can be angry at them, but still care. I can support one and still be there for the other one at different times. Even when Kamran needs me more than Aiden, it doesn't mean I don't worry about him or that I won't be there if Aiden needs me."

"You having problems with your kids Sam?" Callen asked concerned. "You and Michelle are great parents, they are good kids."

Callen was worried at the change of tone in his friend, was Sam telling him there was something wrong with the children he thought of as his niece and nephew?

"I'm not a parent, but if you need me to help, maybe talk to Aiden or Kamran…" He offered.

Sam shook his head. "You're missing the point. Gibbs thinks of you and Marco as his kids."

Callen smiled sadly, "No, he doesn't, Marco yeah. He's been with Gibbs for 13 years; Gibbs thinks of him like a son, but I'm just a friend and nothing more than that. Marco needs him right now. Besides, Aiden never tried to kill Kamran."

Sam smirked, "You've never seen them fight, sibling rivalry can sometimes be more dangerous than some of the terrorists we face. Mind you when they are like that I tend to send Michelle in."

"Aiden ever held a knife to Kam's throat?" Callen laughed.

"You're missing the point G." Sam sighed, shaking his head at his friend's failure to be serious. "The point is that Gibbs will not blame you. He probably worries about you as much as he does Marco. Maybe more."

"Why?" Callen failed to believe what Sam was saying.

"Because that's what parents do G." Sam said matter of factly.

"He's not my parent." Callen insisted. "He's my friend, just like you're my friend and not my parent."

Sam laughed, "Yet more than once you've accused me of being your mother, or your brother. Face it G, we are family. You have a family."

Callen glared at his drink, hoping that Sam would stop this line of conversation.

He jumped as two voices joined in the conversation.

"He's right Mr. Callen." Hetty said as she joined them.

"He is right," Gibbs agreed. "We are your family Callen."

"No you're not." Callen argued stubbornly. You are my friends… you were my friends, but we are not family. I have no…"

"STOP!" Gibbs raised his voice enough to make his point, but not enough to make the other patrons at the bar look over at them. "Just stop G. I learned a long time ago that you don't have to be biologically related to someone for them to be family."

Callen looked up at that, "Yes, why are you here? Doesn't he need you actually, don't answer that. Look Gibbs, I know I made a mistake. I walked away, just let me go… please?"

Hetty nearly gasped at the pain in her boy's voice.

"Mr. Callen," She said, worried. "I promised you a long time ago that you could stay with me as long as you wanted, that I would be there for you. Are you planning on leaving us now?"

Callen thought for a moment, what did he want? Did he want to do what his gut was telling him to? Did he want to run? Leave it all behind and start again... Alone? Or did he want to stay with this woman who was like a mother to him, along with the team he had formed as family?

No, he did not want to, that was certain, but he had crossed the line. He had attacked Marco, not the other way around, and worse, he had been the one to break Hetty's rule about using the list. It had been gnawing at him for a while, he had let her down. She in turn had already told him that she would terminate him with extreme prejudice. Could he really be responsible for another Callen death on her conscience knowing that she had suffered for years after the death of his mother.

He looked at her, opening his mouth a few times unsure what to say.

"Truth…" Gibbs prompted, knowing Callen was trying to figure out how to reply.

"I want to go… I don't want to cause you any more pain," He said quietly looking at Hetty. "I know what you have to do, but If I run… if I leave, you won't have to. Maybe they will send someone else."

"Who will send someone else?" Hetty looked at him confused.

"You said… if I used the list…" He found he was unable to verbalize the rest of his thoughts.

Hetty looked guilty, "I said I would terminate you with extreme prejudice. I didn't say I would kill you."

"But…" Callen was surprised, because that was exactly what he thought she had meant.

"I meant that you would no longer be able to work with this team, or as part of a federal agency again, but only if you used it without my knowledge or permission putting yourself in danger again. You didn't do this. You took Anna Kolcheck, you worked as part of a team. My earlier statement did not apply," Hetty clarified. "I would never do anything to hurt you."

Callen cocked his head to one side in amusement, remembering that time when she had actually tasered him.

"Chastisement is one thing," Hetty said "But deliberately hurting you is another thing. It's what a parent does, sometimes you need to learn and you need a firm hand."

"You're not…" Callen started to argue again, but one look from the diminutive woman stopped him in his tracks. True, she was not his mother, but she was the nearest thing he had ever had to one, and to deny that would be an insult to all she had done for him over the years. "I'm sorry." His shoulders slumped and his face crumpled.

Hetty sat one side of him and Sam moved, allowing Gibbs to sit the other side.

"Your family may be unconventional, but it is your family. Even if you mess up we will not walk away from you. Sam, myself and Hetty will always be here for you." Gibbs said.

"Until you're not." Callen sighed.

"Not gonna happen brother," Sam interjected. "You may leave NCIS, I might leave, but we will always be family. You, me, Michelle, the kids, Gibbs and Hetty. You keep being on a downer like this and you'll never get out of that hole you're digging."

Callen looked at the drink in front of him, he knew that he needed to change his way of thinking; Carter had taught him that. Even so, the idea of really being a part of a family, a part of a whole scared him.

A new shadow fell across him and he stopped still, as a light hand covered his.

"We are all family Callen, and we will always be family," Anna's voice breathed in his ear, "We are stronger because you brought us all together. You made us the family that you needed. I am never going anywhere, we have ties together, you and me."

While he had been lost in his own retrospective, Sam had texted Anna and when she had arrived, Gibbs had slipped out to make room for her.

"We have ties?" Callen asked softly, turning to her.

Anna smiled and nodded.

Callen's smiled grew more pronounced, and he pulled her into his arms kissing her deeply.

For now, for a while at least, he would hold onto their secret, but soon he and Anna would share it with his family.

For that is what they were, family, his family. It was unimportant how it had come about, or how it looked. A grizzled old Marine, an African/American ex-Navy Seal, a diminutive ex-spy and a Russian beauty. They were his, and he loved them all.

God help anyone who hurt them, because he would defend them with Extreme Prejudice.