All the way home.

Chapter 28

Deeks awoke in a strange room, in a soft bed. No sounds of orderlies doing their rounds and no muted sounds of screaming from down the hall.

Then there was a scream... followed by a child's cry.

Deeks curled into a ball wrapping his arms around his head blocking out the noise he was sure was one of those terrible memories he had had to work through. He was convinced the scream came from his own child.

The door knocked but he didn't move.

The door cracked open an inch and Caroline poked her head inside.

Hearing the whimpers that Deeks couldn't keep inside she came in and sat gently on the bed.

"Shh...." she whispered carding her hand through his tousled hair.

"I didn't mean to?" Deeks blurted out moving instinctively from her touch.

"It's ok son, you didn't do anything, it was one of the children. The family have only been here a week and he's still traumatized."

"Not in my head?" Deeks asked checking.

Caroline shook her head, "No son. but if you want to talk I can give Nate a call." she offered.

Deeks sat up sleepily and rubbed his eyes. Caroline smiled seeing in this man the vestiges of the little boy she had loved so much.

"I brought you a hot chocolate, it's still early, but I remembered how much you used to like them."

Deeks broke into a grin, "I do mom...thanks."

He took the drink and his eyes lit up at the mini marshmallows on the top.

He relaxed as the hot chocolate coursed through his body, "Nice." he sighed.

"You still have a few hours before breakfast, it's still dark outside would you like me to leave so you can go back to sleep."

Without thinking Deeks' hand reached out and grabbed her. "Don't leave." he breathed.

She smiled and nodded. "I'll stay."

Callen awoke with his phone ringing, he hit the answer button as he moved away from the bed and a sleeping Joelle.

"Callen's handyman and repairs." He said wondering who was ringing him so early.

"Hey G." Sam's voice replied over the phone.

"Sam?" Callen yawned as he moved over to the kitchen and switched on the coffee maker. Then he peeked in on Jake who was asleep face down on the bed with his arm hanging onto the new toy truck that Joelle and Callen had brought him.

"I figured you'd be up, seeing as you don't sleep." Sam's bright voice came over the speaker as Callen quickly shut Jake's door.

"I was asleep...hold on...." He grabbed his coffee and headed for the door of the trailer.

"G?" Joelle called sleepily.

'Phone call.' Callen mouthed pointing to the phone, 'Be outside, love you.'

Joelle nodded and fell back to sleep pulling his pillow towards her.

Callen moved to a deck chair he had outside and put his coffee on the small outdoor table he had.

"What can I do for you Sam." He asked neutrally.

"I just drove by your house, it's for sale. Does this mean that you aren't coming back at all?" he asked worried.

"To Los Angeles, Or OSP?" Callen asked.

He took a sip of his coffee and watched as a family pulled into the diner for an early morning breakfast, Wanda giving him a wave as she looked out of the window. He waved back as Sam replied. "Both."