The Shortest way home

Chapter 6

Callen dragged G by the collar and threw him into the car, he wasn't sure what was going on, but his thoughts were in turmoil he wasn't going to let them mess with his head, he didn't need the pain that would come with letting them in. however a small flame was being fanned within him…and he knew the source.

"Stop it," He growled at his younger self, "She was lying, and you know it and I know it,"

G looked scared, his older self, he was so much colder than he ever thought he could be. The scar on his face scared him, how had he got that in the future, God it looked like it must have really hurt. His older self had been nice earlier on and hadn't had a scar and then this; this thing had appeared on his face. How could he be a good guy when he looked so much more like a bad guy?

G grabbed the car door handle. "NO!" he opened the door and scrambled out of the other side running straight into Sam, and the others who had followed him out.

Fear gripped Callen as he saw his younger self run towards the others.

"NO G! You don't know what you're doing!" he yelled moving around the car to stand between them.

G ground to a halt. He looked fearfully between his older self and the group of adults staring worriedly in his direction.

"G, please, you just need to trust us." Kensi said pleading with him.

They had figured out that for Callen, in his life, this was a major turning point, the choice between the Callen they knew and loved and the cold calculating Callen that stood before them, and they wanted their Callen back.

"NO!" Callen yelled, "Remember rule 2. Don't do it."

G mouthed trusting brings pain, and looked at his older self and the adults again.

"I….I can't…" He turned to his older self and the others panicked Deeks and Kensi not even thinking held hands for support while Sam put a comforting hand on Nell's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I can't grow up like you, I can't not trust someone and lose the chance of having anyone to care for me, or care about me…I need this." G took a step toward the group.

"NO! YOU CAN'T!" Callen made a run for the boy but Sam stood in front of him.

"Callen, you won't hurt G, He is my friend and I know right now you can kill me but know this, I will die for him; in a heartbeat."

G looked at him, the awe on his face obvious, "You…you would?" he asked.

Sam nodded and turned to G, "Yeah kid I would, you're my best friend; my family. We are all your family and we want you back, will you come with us, will you trust us?"

Callen pulled his gun on them, "G, Move away from them and come back here."

G had a flash of the Callen that had first picked him up, he had been creepy sure, like he could read his thoughts, but now he was cold and he didn't know if the others could see but he was scared, lonely and afraid that the others would see it.

He looked at Callen, he didn't want to grow into that and he knew it was his decision and that he could save his future self, maybe that was why he was here. Using the bravery he had built up over the many years in foster care he pulled away from Sam and took a step towards Callen and the gun.

"No." he said, "This isn't you, it isn't me, there is another way. You just have to trust me. We can be better, we can let people in, yeah sure we will get hurt, but these people here. They care about us Callen. I want to care, I want to be loved."

The gun in Callen's hand waivered. "But you don't know…it….it hurts…" Callen collapsed to the ground his arms wrapped around his torso as twenty more years or hurt and pain and altered memories flashed through him.

G grinned as the large scar on Callen's face disappeared.

Callen looked up from the floor in the courtyard and saw G standing with the others all around him. "Sam? What happened?"

He said G holding the gun, "What are you doing with that, you could get hurt G?" Callen carefully took the gun and placed it back in his holster.

He stood up and dusted himself off, "So are you all just going to stand there and stare at me or are one of you going to tell me why I was on my ass in the courtyard?" he asked still bewildered.

"Callen?" Nell said walking up to him, "Who was your last foster parent?"

Callen looked uncomfortable, "Someone special to me why?"

Hetty walked out from behind them and hugged him, "Welcome back son." She said quietly.

"OK now I'm scared, did you hit me with a car?" He said to Deeks.

"Who ME!" Deeks squeaked,

"You weren't you for a while, you kinda turned into the you, you could have been if I had made a huge mistake." G said, "I'm sorry."

Callen grinned and wrapped G in a hug, "its ok kid, we all make mistakes, it's how we forgive and move on that matters. I forgive with doughnuts and soda." Callen grinned steering the kid inside.

"Callen?" Sam said wanting to put a hand on his shoulder but stopping. "Are we ok?"

Callen turned to him, "Sure Bro' why would we not be?"

Sam gathered Callen into a hug, "I missed you." He said.

Callen slapped him on the back, "Ok?" he stepped back with an uncomfortable cough. "Sam why were we out here, I thought we were going to do some hand to hand today, to get mini me ready for going back?"

"You tried to kidnap yourself; I'll get Eric to show you if you like." Sam said, "Deeks Kensi, take G for something to eat, but not too many doughnuts, there are sandwiches in the fridge, Michelle made them."

Deeks grinned moving past the other too, "Come on G, Michelle's lunches are legendary."

G followed them smiling as Callen still confused followed Sam up to ops.

Eric jumped as they walked in. "Callen." He said backing off.

Confused at the terror coming off the man Callen looked at Sam, "Sam?"

"Eric I need you to…"

"But I already showed him the Christmas party, it's not my fault he doesn't believe you." Eric moved further away,

"Eric?" Callen looked hurt. "You ok?"

"Yes Sir." Eric put his monitor between Callen and himself.

Sam sighed, "Eric just show him the footage from the bullpen from this morning and up in OPS earlier."

Callen watched amazed as the scar appeared on his face and how he started to act. "Sam!" he breathed when he saw himself shove Sam against a wall and hold a knife to his throat.

"I'm ok G." Sam said noting the worry in his face.

"But I…." Callen stopped as he watched himself running down from Ops and grabbing his younger self. "No?!" he breathed in disbelief. He turned to Sam, "And all of this because I stopped Deeks from talking to me?"

"Seems that something as small as that can have a bigger impact further down the line; oh and by the way, you called Hetty an old woman."

"NO!" Callen paled and leant against the main table behind him. "I'm a dead man." He breathed as Sam and Eric stifled their laughter behind him.